Aryna Sabalenka shared insights into her current tennis mindset on Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of quickly moving past her defeats. The three-time Cincinnati Masters semi-finalist, preparing for her second-round match after receiving a bye, explained her approach ahead of the WTA and ATP Cincinnati Open, the final major event before the US Open begins on August 26. “Each week brings a new tournament,” said Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion. “Having a short memory is beneficial. It helps me stay focused, work hard, and keep improving.”
Sabalenka has reached the semi-finals at this US Midwest venue in 2018 and the past two editions, and she’s eager to better that record as she recovers from a shoulder injury that caused her to miss Wimbledon.
“Every loss motivates me to work harder and improve — it’s all about keeping the momentum,” she stated. “If you fight for every point and give your best in practice and matches, opportunities will come. You just have to seize them.”
The 25-year-old also reflected on how tennis serves as a welcome distraction from real life. Sabalenka has faced significant personal challenges, including the loss of her father and a former boyfriend who tragically fell to his death from a Miami high-rise earlier this year.
As she remains focused on improving her performance in Cincinnati, Sabalenka said, “I’m trying to figure out what I need to do to reach the finals. But I don’t want to obsess over that. I want to take it one step at a time and bring my best game each time I step on the court. If I do that, I believe I can finally get past the semi-finals.”
Top-eight seeds awaited their opening-round opponents as first-round matches unfolded on Tuesday.
Ninth-seeded Daria Kastkina secured a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova, firing six aces and breaking her opponent’s serve four times. This win was a relief after early exits in Washington and Toronto.
Number 15 seed Marta Kostyuk battled through a tough 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 win against Belgian Elise Mertens in a match lasting nearly two and a half hours and marred by a dozen double faults.
“I don’t know how I won today,” said the Ukrainian player. “A lot of things didn’t go my way.”
Karolina Pliskova, the tournament champion eight years ago, began her campaign with a 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3) victory over Bulgarian Viktorija Tomova. Meanwhile, France’s Varvara Gracheva ousted Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/5).
Wimbledon quarter-finalist Lulu Sun, who had to qualify for the main draw, advanced to the second round with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win over Czech Linda Noskova.
In men’s action, 12th seed Ben Shelton emerged victorious in a tightly contested serving duel against Reilly Opelka, winning 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3). Opelka, who recently returned to the tour after a two-year injury hiatus, fired 19 aces in his defeat to his fellow American.
Shelton, who prepared by practicing against big serves from his former ATP player father Bryan, noted the challenge. “It’s hard to replicate the angle and bounce of Reilly’s serve,” he said. “Some of his serves seem to defy physics. But it’s great to see him back, even if he’s not yet at full strength. I’m happy with how I finished.”
Shelton secured his second-round spot on the second of four match points, ending with a leaping return winner. He tallied 20 winners, while Opelka recorded 31 in the 97-minute match.
Other results included American Alex Michelsen’s win over Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. China’s Zhang Zhizhen defeated Giovanni Mpetishi Perricard of France, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), and Frances Tiafoe claimed a home-soil victory against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6).
