Aryna Sabalenka a bien lancé sa campagne à Melbourne. La n°1 mondiale s’est qualifiée pour le 2e tour de l’Open d’Australie 2026 en dominant la wild-card française Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah en deux manches (6-4, 6-1) sur la Rod Laver Arena. La Biélorusse a pourtant connu une entame délicate. Bousculée d’entrée par une gauchère qu’elle découvrait à ce niveau, Sabalenka a concédé un break très tôt et a dû s’employer pour trouver son rythme dans un premier set accroché. Clin d’œil de cette soirée d’ouverture : la n°1 mondiale a célébré sa victoire avec une photo aux côtés de Rod Laver et Roger Federer, présents en tribunes. Au 2e tour, Sabalenka affrontera Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova ou la qualifiée chinoise Bai Zhuoxuan.
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00:30Is that a number we can expect on going now and how did you rate your workout there tonight?
00:34I prefer to be unpredictable.
00:38But yeah, I was definitely working on this, on surfing volley and I'm super happy to be able to do it on the match because, you know, on the practice is one thing, but be able to be kind of like fearless and go there at the match, it's something else.
00:55So I'm really proud that I'm able to show this tennis.
00:59David?
01:00Marina, when you talk about trying to find your rhythm, is it a combination of playing an opponent you've never played before, being on Rod Labor for the first time in the tournament, just what was contributing to that?
01:09I mean, first of all, it's the first match, right?
01:11So you're always kind of like just trying to figure out where you are.
01:15And also the opponent that I never played before and I haven't really watched her games before and kind of like lose her out of my radar.
01:26So I didn't really know much about her and I was just struggling to find the rhythm of her shots.
01:33And I'm happy that I could manage and I could get this win in straight sets.
01:40Okay, up the back there.
01:41You mentioned it took you a little while to get your rhythm in that first set.
01:44What was it about her game that made you sort of struggle to get to that point?
01:47I think the game, not the game, but the serve was really a little bit awkward for me.
01:55It was not that heavy, not that fast.
01:58So I was trying to find the perfect position for me to return and also the bolts were flying a lot.
02:05She was serving really good targets.
02:07So it was a combination of a couple of things.
02:09But then at the very end, I felt like I have to step in and I have to try to put as much pressure as I can on her.
02:15And I did it and it really worked well.
02:17David?
02:18Karina, I wanted to ask about your jewelry collaboration with Material Good.
02:21Yeah.
02:22It's very big and very flashy.
02:23I'm curious what you make of the collaboration, how a decision came together,
02:27how much input you had, all of that.
02:29Yeah, I'm super excited about this partnership.
02:32You know, like first time I met them, I think last year in New York.
02:37And I even bought my birthday gift there.
02:44And I really love the boutique they have.
02:47I love the team.
02:48They're very creative, very fun, like really fits my team well.
02:53And, yeah, I'm super excited about this partnership because they give me this space to design things,
03:01to be creative, to be unique.
03:03And they understand me really well.
03:05They know me well.
03:06And they do such beautiful pieces like this.
03:08And I'm super excited about this partnership.
03:10Are you going to bring them to market?
03:12It's a long-term collaboration.
03:13So throughout the year we'll see different pieces.
03:15Yeah, yeah, yeah.
03:15It's a long-term, for sure, partnership.
03:21And, yeah, we're going to create a lot of cool pieces.
03:24Mark?
03:25Just getting back to the net stuff that's been obviously a priority for you.
03:29Every year you turn up here you seem to be adding constantly to your game.
03:32How important do you think constantly evolving as a player has been opposed to your success?
03:38Yeah, I think it's very important to always working on your game, always developing as a player,
03:44always searching for something that is new, that is going to help your game.
03:51I think that's the key to be consistent, always bring something new on the table.
04:01And I think over the years we've developed my game so much.
04:05We added a lot of new things, and I'm, yeah, I'm proud of the work we've done together with my team.
04:12Okay, we'll do Cole, David, and then wrap up.
04:14Cole?
04:15Hey, Rina, well done.
04:16So this was your opponent's first time ever at the Australian Open.
04:19Just talking about your experience here in Melbourne, do you remember your first time ever playing here?
04:24And there's a memory that stands out.
04:26I think it was against Ashley Barty at the road lever.
04:30And probably not the best experience to have for the first time facing an Australian at the road lever.
04:38But I'm also proud of the connection I was able to build with the fans since then.
04:46And that wasn't my best experience, to be honest.
04:51But it was also cool, because she was in the top 30, I think.
04:55For me, it was a really big match, really big opportunity to see where my game at.
05:00And even though I lost that much, but I really enjoyed it, and I learned a lot from that loss.
05:06Okay, last one, Dave.
05:07Yeah, Rina, I couldn't hear the on-court interview, but I saw you take a selfie with Roger and Rod Laver.
05:11I was just curious if you saw them during the match, what it's like to have people like that watch you and all that.
05:15Oh, yeah, of course I did.
05:16I'm a huge fan.
05:18And, yeah, the whole match I was just telling myself, do not look there, please.
05:22Do not look.
05:24But, yeah, it's incredible.
05:27I would never thought that Roger Federer and Rod Laver are going to be sitting first row watching my match.
05:35And, yeah, that's unbelievable.
05:38You think that's why you came to net so much?
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