'Okay, whatever, I’m done': Aryna Sabalenka shares reason behind stop training with Andrey Rublev after just five minutes

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has opened up about why she decided to quit training with Russia’s Andrey Rublev after just five minutes. The 26-year-old, who is already regarded as the best player in women’s tennis, has been in impressive form this season.

She has appeared in the final of an event on six occasions in eight events. Even though she has managed to win just three of them, those deep runs have ensured that Sabalenka now has a firm grip on the top spot in the WTA rankings. She is sitting with 11,118 rating points, nearly 3,500 points ahead of second-placed Iga Swiatek.

Sabalenka recently lifted the Madrid Open trophy after beating Coco Gauff in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6. One of the reasons behind her success is her ball-hitting ability, which is second to none in women’s tennis.

Sabalenka was asked whether she is the hardest ball-hitting player in women’s tennis ahead of the start of the Madrid Open. In response to that, the reigning world No. 1 explained that hitting the ball hard is "not the key." She also shared an interesting instance where practiced with Russia’s men’s tennis star Rublev but decided to end her practice just five minutes after.

“I don’t know. I mean, maybe when I was practicing with the guys,” she said. “I practice with Rublev, that was really intense. I was like, Okay, whatever, I’m done. I was done in five minutes, so, yeah. But, no, sometimes power is not the key. You can hit really hard but not in the right target. But, yeah, I think the guys serve stronger, obviously.”