Aryna Sabalenka has retirement in mind.
In a video posted just before she started aiming for third place at the 2025 Australian Open, the world number one revealed that she was thinking of having a child as soon as possible at the age of 26. He said it might mean retiring sooner than most people. Expected.
“Being a professional athlete, I feel like I'm very close to retirement. Can you believe it?” said Sabalenka, who turns 27 in May. told Australian Open TV. “People retire around the age of 30.”
The three-time Grand Slam champion was asked when she would next like to retire.
Sabalenka replied: “I don't know, that's a difficult question.'' “I hope to have a family. I love children, so I want to have children. I don't want to have my first child at 35. In my opinion, I really want to have a child and then come back. .And I want my kids to understand how hard they have to work in life to get things.”
Sabalenka, who has won the Australian Open in each of the past two years, started the 2025 Australian Open Sunday with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Sloane Stevens.
In the second round, she will face Jessica Buzas Maneiro.
Sabalenka reached the status of the sport's elite when she won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open two years ago, and won the US Open four months ago a year ago, despite losing in the final.
She revealed earlier this year that she is dating Georgios Franglis.
Her former boyfriend, former NHL player Konstantin Koltsov, was found dead at the St. Regis Bal Harbor Resort in March in what police said was an apparent suicide after jumping from a hotel balcony.
Sabalenka said the two were no longer a couple at the time of Koltsov's death.
