SAD NEWS:Aryna Sabalenka Rushed to the Hospital in a critical condition
Due to a shoulder soreness in late June, Aryna Sabalenka’s season took a different turn. She had not been able to serve or hit overheads without excruciating discomfort for days, and Wimbledon was quickly coming. At the most significant tournament of the year, could she take some painkillers, grit her teeth, and battle her way through a few early matches? Perhaps, but at what danger to her tennis career and her goal of finishing the year at the top
These are the words that Sabalenka’s coach, Anton Dubrov, used to frame the discussion at an unplanned team meeting in London. In a recent interview from Beijing last month, Dubrov recalls asking, “What can we do to make the most opportunity?” What actions did they have to take to restore her to nearly full strength?
What actions did they have to take to restore her to nearly full strength? No choice would ensure success in the future. That was something they had to accept. In order to give Sabalenka the best chance for the greatest rewards, Dubrov and the rest of the team—who have helped her come out of some of the lowest points in both her personal and tennis lives—had to support her. They would then have to accept responsibility for their choice and make every effort to demonstrate that they made the
