Aryna Sabalenka was remembering her late father when she blew a kiss to the sky after defeating Zheng Qinwen in a stunning display at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night.
The 25-year-old was utterly ruthless as she took her second straight Australian Open crown in straight sets and fulfilled a dream she shared with her dad before his tragic death aged just 43 in 2019.
She dedicated the 6-3, 6-2 win over Zheng to her family, telling them, ‘I love you so much … Everything I’m doing, I’m doing for you,’ as she held the trophy on centre court after her heartbreaking gesture.
‘I lost my father four years ago. We had one dream, that before 25 I will win a couple of grand slams,’ she said.
‘When he passed away, I started thinking too much about it. Now I’m 24 and there is zero in my pocket.’
The Belarusian world No.2 changed that when she broke through to win her first Australian Open crown by defeating Elena Rybakina last year – and broke down after the match as she remembered her father.
In scenes captured in Break Point’s second season, Sabalenka was on the phone to her mother in the locker room after the win when they started talking about her dad.
‘Mum, don’t cry, I’m starting to cry, cameras are filming me here,’ she says.
‘Mum, don’t start talking about Dad, damn it.’
Sabalenka delivered a voiceover explaining what her mother was saying to her.
‘My mum, she was crying, saying that ‘your dad would be super proud of you’.
‘It’s really sad because I really want him to be here, I really want to call him and hear what he would say.
‘Right now his surname is on that trophy, which means a lot.’
Sergey was foremost in her thoughts after this year’s win as well.
‘I just couldn’t quit. I felt like I just have to keep doing what I’m doing,’ she told reporters after beating Zheng.
