Sabalenka says she feels fresh after losing world number one ranking

Dawn reported that Aryna Sabalenka said she was feeling fresh as she prepared for her first tournament since losing the world number one ranking. Sabalenka had held the top spot for 99 weeks before Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina took over the position, having also beaten Sabalenka in the US Open final.

The four-time Grand Slam winner said she had struggled during the middle part of the season with different issues, but that her run to the US Open final marked a point where she began to feel healthier and stronger. She said that at the US Open she started to enjoy tennis again because she was healthy mentally and physically.

Sabalenka has not won a title since March and will end the year without a major for the first time since 2022. She begins her campaign at the China Open in Beijing in the round of 64, where she is seeded second behind Rybakina.