Aryna Sabalenka has refused to condemn her own explosive on-court behavior, calling her meltdowns a "necessary evil" to her success. The Belarusian, 28, has become one of the fiercest competitors in tennis, rising to world No 1 on the back of four Grand Slam titles in three years.
The star has also made headlines for her emotional outbursts, including throwing a racket toward a ball kid during last October's Wuhan Open and yelling at a heckling spectator to "shut up" during this year's Miami Open final.
"I would get super emotional all the time," she told Vogue of her early career. "I was, like, under zero control. I could lead the match, then be super crazy and let it go. I knew that I had a problem."
Sabalenka dazzled on the digital cover of Vogue's May edition. She defended her tempestuous on-court behavior, insisting it is in fact a key part of her success.
Sabalenka on her competitive mentality
"I feel like all of us think, 'Okay, I should win every match.' If you're not thinking that way, then what are you doing? When you're in the top five and you're winning Grand Slams, it's not okay to be okay with losing. That's my mentality," Sabalenka said.
"When I was young, I would get emotional, and then I would get really p***ed with myself for getting emotional. Now I understand that it's okay to throw the racket. It's okay to yell something. It's okay to go nuts if you feel like you're holding too much in," she added.
"Sometimes you just need to let it go, to empty it so you're ready to start over and play the match. Yeah, sometimes it looks ugly and terrible, but I need it in order to keep my head in it."
Grieving Konstantin Koltsov
Sabalenka was also transparent with Vogue about her grief after losing her ex-boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, in March 2024. Koltsov died at age 42 after falling from a balcony on the 23rd floor of a Miami five-star hotel in an apparent suicide.
Sabalenka, who was no longer in a relationship with the former NHL player at the time, was practicing nearby ahead of the Miami Open. Police officers approached her on the courts during a practice session to inform her of Koltsov's death.
She told Vogue she was "fighting" with the police, unable to come to terms with the loss. Despite the tragedy, she continued competing, just as she did following the death of her father, Sergey, in 2019.
Returning to competition
Days after Koltsov's death, Sabalenka defeated close friend Paula Badosa at the tournament before losing to Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina in the Round of 32. Her decision to keep competing drew criticism from social media users who questioned her swift return to the court.
"I feel like in this situation, there is no right and wrong," she told Vogue, saying there is no "cliche" for how to grieve. "We all need different things. For me, going back to work is the only way. I'm 28, but sometimes I think I've had everything in life that you could imagine."
Losing her father in 2019
Sabalenka lost her father suddenly to meningitis in November 2019, when he was 43. He had introduced her to tennis after driving her past empty courts when she was six years old, and began teaching her after a car accident at 19 ended his own career as a professional hockey player.
Sabalenka recalled that she and her mother repeatedly tried to call for medical help in their hometown of Minsk, and that an ambulance finally took her father to hospital on the third day of trying. By then it was too late.
"People say that time helps, but in some ways I struggle more now because I know how much fun my dad would be having with my success," said Sabalenka, who is now engaged to fiance Georgios Frangulis.
"Nowadays my fiance will find me crying in bed in the evening because I'm watching Reels and there's something about a father, or old times," she added. "The most sensitive videos for me are when I see people posting a family reaction to their kid athlete winning something, and I just imagine how my dad would react to me."
"I'm crying like crazy, like I just lost him. There are so many fathers on tour, and when I see a healthy relationship and a proud dad, I think, Girl, just enjoy it, because you never know what's coming. You're so lucky."