The former world number three, who hails from Riga, Elena Dementieva commented on the expressiveness of Belarusian Arina Sabalenka on the court and on social media.
"Arina has actually been managing her emotions much better in recent years. She has become calmer in her game, and she takes control of her nerves. She can lose her temper, lose focus, give in to her emotions, but then she gathers herself again. She has learned to regulate these processes. And the fact that she is emotional, hot-tempered, just as she is — I think that’s why people love her. And that’s also her strength, and she gains a lot from it!
By the way, all these stories, all these photos of her relaxing on the Greek islands with mojitos, dancing, unwinding — it’s all just for distraction. Because the physical shape she has maintained throughout the season and even at the beginning of this year — yes, we understand that there is colossal work behind keeping herself in such physical condition. So it seems to me that she trains almost non-stop. I think she hasn’t really given herself a break, to be honest. These are just small fragments," said Dementieva on the First&Red channel.
