JUST IN: “Always pushing me to play my best tennis, I wouldn’t have cared if …”: Aryna Sabalenka heavily lauds ONE opponent who always brings out the best in her amid WTA Finals battle.READ MORe

JUST IN‼️: “Always pushing me to play my best tennis, I wouldn’t have cared if …”: Aryna Sabalenka heavily lauds ONE opponent who always brings out the best in her amid WTA Finals battle

The world‑number‑one, Aryna Sabalenka, has delivered one of her most candid and revealing interviews of the season as the pressure mounts at the 2025 WTA Finals. After a tense semi‑final victory, she turned her attention inward and outward, offering rare insight into the opponent who “always pushes me to play my best tennis”.

Sabalenka’s words came in the wake of a dramatic match against Amanda Anisimova, in which the Belarusian superstar admitted that the American challenger forced her to elevate every part of her game. “When I’m on court, I’m just focusing on my game and trying to give everything I have on each point,” she explained. (Tennisuptodate.com)

She continued: “At some point in the match I was telling myself, ‘Come on, Aryna, enjoy this fight. Try to do your best.’ And truly, she was always pushing me to play my best tennis. I wouldn’t have cared if I lost this match, because I know what she brings out in me.” (Tennisuptodate.com)

For Sabalenka, the match against Anisimova was more than just another result—it was a test of character under the lights of the season‑ending tournament. The challenge, she said, came not only from her opponent’s level but from what that level demanded of her: sharper focus, deeper resolve and a willingness to dig into her reserves.

Anisimova’s relentless intensity forced Sabalenka to raise her own game. “I know she’s capable of incredible tennis, and when she brings it, I know I must match it or exceed it,” Sabalenka reflected. She acknowledged the value of these high‑stakes clashes: “When you get someone who makes you uncomfortable, who takes you out of your comfort zone—that is when you truly grow.”

Their recent history underscores the sentiment. While Sabalenka holds the higher ranking and the bulk of titles, Anisimova has consistently troubled her, and their matches often go beyond standard contests into battles of wills and attitude. The WTA Finals battleground only amplifies that significance for both.

In praising her opponent so openly, Sabalenka also sent a message: greatness is forged in heat, and those who test you hardest are often your greatest allies in disguise. She described the unique gift Anisimova offered—not in conceding defeat, but raising the bar: “She brings out in me what I might not bring out myself. That’s rare.”

Off court, the relationship remains respectful, with hints of mutual admiration. But on court, Sabalenka said, the dynamic is unmistakably competitive. “I want every point to mean something. She makes it mean something,” she said. The feedback loop of challenge and response, she argues, sharpens her game in a way that comfortable wins never could.

As the WTA Finals progress and the stakes climb, Sabalenka’s mindset appears fortified by this recognition. She will now carry not only the weight of expectation but also the fuel of knowing she has a rival who demands mastery every time they meet.

Whether she hoists the trophy or falls short, one thing is clear: the opponent Sabalenka praised has already left an imprint. More than a mere adversary, she has become a catalyst—a mirror showing Sabalenka what she needs to become.

In the unforgiving world of elite tennis, where margins are razor‑thin and mental edges matter as much as physical ones, Sabalenka’s tribute speaks volumes. It reminds us that sometimes your toughest competitor is also your greatest motivator—and that praise for an opponent can be the mark of a champion at work.