World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka says she draws inspiration from the staying power of Novak Djokovic and other veterans on the men’s tour and dreams of one day becoming the “grandma” of the women’s game.
Already a four-time Grand Slam champion at 27, the Belarusian is the favorite to lift a third Australian Open crown, having reached the fourth round in Melbourne for the sixth straight year on Friday.
Djokovic continues to defy time at 38, while 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka turned back the clock Thursday, grinding out a punishing five-set win to reach the third round of the men’s singles.
Sabalenka knows that kind of longevity remains a distant target, but she embraces the idea of a long career, even imagining herself competing as a playing mother well into the later stages of the sport.
“I feel like there is no age anymore in sport. It depends on how you approach everything and if you have a smart team around you,” she told reporters after beating Anastasia Potapova at Rod Laver Arena.
“So I feel like your career can be extended for, I don’t know how many years.
“Ideally for me, I would love to maybe have kids at 32 or something. But knowing me, I know that I love to accept tough challenges. So I feel like even after having kids, I would love to challenge myself, coming back and seeing if I still have it.
“So probably we’re going to see me being that grandma on tour, trying. Hopefully, I’ll be pushing these young girls.”
Sabalenka’s 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) win over Potapova put her on a collision course with one of the most exciting young talents in the women’s game, Canada’s 19-year-old Victoria Mboko, who knocked out 14th-seeded Clara Tauson.
In her Australian Open debut, Mboko has reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time and will face Sabalenka for the first time in her career.
Sabalenka struggled to control her emotions early in her career but said the new generation appears better equipped to handle the pressure that comes with early success.
“I feel like maybe for me it would have been really tough to handle success at a young age,” she said. “But seeing these girls achieving so much so young, playing great tennis and being really mature, it’s incredible.
“I feel like they mature much faster than I did.”
