'NO. I MEANS YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT'

Sabalenka excited ahead of her Battle of the Sexes match against Kyrgios in Dubai

- BY JAI PRASAD V. RAI

Aryna Sabalenka knows better than most what it takes to thrive under pressure.

Holding the World No 1 ranking for an uninterrupted 62 weeks — and 70 weeks in total — is no small achievement. The Belarusian’s current run is the fifth-longest stay at the top this century, behind only Serena Williams, Ashleigh Barty, Iga Swiatek and Martina Hingis. Sabalenka is also on course to challenge Swiatek’s 75-week reign around the 2026 Australian Open.

"Of course there’s pressure, but it’s also a privilege," the 27-year-old told Gulf News ahead of her exhibition Battle of the Sexes match against Australian star Nick Kyrgios at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena on Sunday.