Aryna Sabalenka Continues Bizarre Pre-Match Ritual of Signing Her Fitness Coach's Head
- 3 months ago
Aryna Sabalenka continued her superstition of signing the bald head of her fitness trainer Jason Stacy before each match, as the Belarusian star defended her Australian Open title.
Sabalenka eased to her second Grand Slam title by beating China's Zheng Qinwen in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 at Melbourne Park.
The second seed did not drop a set all tournament in a dominant two weeks at the first Grand Slam of the year.
Her tradition of signing her autograph on Stacy's head before every match was also a theme throughout the event.
‘We just like to do weird ’ Sabalenka said, explaining the ritual after her quarter-final victory.
‘Somehow I decided to start drawing my signature on his head. I did it before the first match. Now it’s a routine.
‘He’s not super happy that I’m going to do that but he’s like, “OK, anything for the win”. It’s a cool spot, no?’
Stacy was spotted in Sabalenka's player's box with her autograph once again visible on his head during the final.
Sabalenka also made a point of tapping Stacy's head as she was congratulated by her player's box following her victory over Zheng in the final.
The 25-year-old thanked her coaching team for their ongoing support during her victory speech.
'Team, wow. You see guys, I put a little bit of pressure on them in the Brisbane final and we did a little bit better in this one,' Sabalenka said.
'Thank you so much for being by my side no matter what.
'Without you, I wouldn’t be able to achieve so much in my sport.
'Without me, you wouldn’t be that good as well so let’s accept that fact.'
Sabalenka eased to her second Grand Slam title by beating China's Zheng Qinwen in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 at Melbourne Park.
The second seed did not drop a set all tournament in a dominant two weeks at the first Grand Slam of the year.
Her tradition of signing her autograph on Stacy's head before every match was also a theme throughout the event.
‘We just like to do weird ’ Sabalenka said, explaining the ritual after her quarter-final victory.
‘Somehow I decided to start drawing my signature on his head. I did it before the first match. Now it’s a routine.
‘He’s not super happy that I’m going to do that but he’s like, “OK, anything for the win”. It’s a cool spot, no?’
Stacy was spotted in Sabalenka's player's box with her autograph once again visible on his head during the final.
Sabalenka also made a point of tapping Stacy's head as she was congratulated by her player's box following her victory over Zheng in the final.
The 25-year-old thanked her coaching team for their ongoing support during her victory speech.
'Team, wow. You see guys, I put a little bit of pressure on them in the Brisbane final and we did a little bit better in this one,' Sabalenka said.
'Thank you so much for being by my side no matter what.
'Without you, I wouldn’t be able to achieve so much in my sport.
'Without me, you wouldn’t be that good as well so let’s accept that fact.'