Sabalanka looking forward to Madrid but is keen to repeat 2023 rather than 2024

Madrid: Aryna Sabalenka is back at the Mutua Madrid Open hoping to rekindle memories of her title win from 2023, rather than her epic defeat in last year's final against Iga Swiatek. Sabalenka travels to Madrid in good form, despite a recent defeat in Stuttgart, but admitted in a press conference on Wednesday that the clay used in Madrid is not her favourite surface.

"Playing on clay gives you more time to make your shots. But in the past, this has sometimes given me some confusion as I get a lot of ideas, and that leads to mistakes," she admitted.

However, the Belarusian said the surface needed good "physical preparation" and "good tactical intelligence," and consequently, the surface is "the one that allows for improvement in all aspects of the game", reports Xinhua. Sabalenka said she preferred longer tournaments because "having a rest day between matches allows you to be more relaxed, go out to dinner with your team, and explore the city."

She also said that she preferred an automatic line-call system, even on clay, "because there are situations where chair umpires could make mistakes since visible marks don't always match the reality due to the ball's trajectory and speed." (IANS)

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