On January 15th, Beijing time, Sabalenka shared her thoughts on Zheng Qinwen's unexpected exit from the Australian Open during an interview. The world No. 1 in women's singles expressed that she felt very sad about it and also mentioned that her draw would not become any easier with Zheng's departure.
Sabalenka said, "I saw that Qinwen lost, and I was very sad to hear this news. This is a Grand Slam tournament, and not everyone can handle these mental and emotional challenges."
The current world No. 1 emphasized that even without the challenge of Zheng Qinwen in her path to the championship, her road to victory would not be any less challenging: "As you can see, many players perform well under such circumstances. It's not like if Qinwen or others lose, my draw becomes easier for me; it doesn't work that way."
Sabalenka also stated that she would not underestimate her opponents in the upcoming matches and would give her all in every match: "Today's game proved this point. Other girls can play fearlessly, with nothing to lose. They can put you in a very unfavorable position. You must let go and show your best side. As you said, I prefer to focus step by step. I really enjoy the feeling of competition, and that's what I pay attention to."
Previously, according to the draw, Zheng Qinwen and Sabalenka were scheduled to meet again in the quarter-finals. In their previous five encounters, Sabalenka maintained a perfect record, only losing one set. After advancing to the top 32, Sabalenka's goal is naturally to achieve the remarkable feat of winning the Australian Open three times in a row.