World number one Aryna Sabalenka says she was “emotional” as she edged past Anastasia Potapova to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The Belarusian, a two-time favorite to win the title, maintained a 4-0 lead in the first set.
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However, the 27-year-old felt “disconnected from my body” when 55th-ranked Potapova fought back and Sabalenka was forced to fend off four set points before winning 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (9-7).
Afterwards, a reflective Sabalenka admitted that she might have lost the match earlier in her career.
Sabalenka lost two Grand Slam finals last year, first to Madison Keys in Melbourne and then at Roland Garros against Coco Gauff when she committed 70 unforced errors.
By her own admission, she can “lose control of her emotions” when tennis’s biggest prize is on the line, and she has previously worked with a psychologist to improve this aspect of her game.
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She has reached at least the semifinals in 13 of the past 16 Grand Slam tournaments, winning four major titles in the past three seasons and establishing herself as a dominant player in the women’s game.
“Five years ago, Elena would have been so focused on her feelings that she would have completely lost these games,” Sabalenka said.
“I learned that it doesn’t matter how you feel, it’s your mentality, your mental strength, trying your best to return the ball with poor technique and your body is completely disconnected.
“When you see something isn’t working, your only strategy is to fight.”
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Sabalenka needed two hours and two minutes to defeat Austria’s Potapova, extending her record in a Grand Slam tie-break and showing her newfound resilience.
She has won tiebreaks in each of her past 19 Grand Slam matches, the longest winning streak by a woman in the Open era, and is matched only by Novak Djokovic (2005-07) among active singles players.
Sabalenka will continue her bid for a third title in four years in Melbourne, facing Canada’s 19-year-old Victoria Mboko in the fourth round.
“I’m really happy with my mentality today. I think that’s the only thing that really helped me win,” Sabalenka said.
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“It was one of those days where you have to fight hard to get the ball back.
“Emotionally, I’m all over the place. I’m trying to figure out how to connect with my body.
“It seemed like everything was happening separately; my brain was somewhere else and my arms were going in one direction. Miraculously, I was able to win this.”