By FirstSportz,Victor Okechukwu

Copyright yardbarker

Aryna Sabalenka has shared the names of two men’s players whose serves she has struggled to return during their training session. The World No.1 has been seen practicing with several ATP players this season, including Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at the Wimbledon Championships.

The Belarusian is known for her hard-hitting style of play on the court, which has made it hard for her opponents to stop her. She’s also known for her serving speed and did hit her best record at the 2018 WTA Finals, where she served at 214 km/h or 133 mph during the group phase of the tournament.

Sabalenka is gearing up for a potential match against Nick Kyrgios, an exhibition clash known as the ‘Battle of the Sexes’. Kyrgios has been out of the tour since March, withdrawing from the French Open, Wimbledon Championships, and US Open. The former World No.13 has been dealing with a wrist injury that has extended his absence.

Kyrgios is one of the best servers in the ATP. Despite his injury struggles, he’s known for delivering top-notch serves during matches. But Sabalenka didn’t mention the Australian star. During an interview with Whistle Sports, Sabalenka revealed that she has recently tried to return the serve of American star Ben Shelton, but has struggled.

Shelton has one of the highest-recorded serve speeds – 150 mph or 241.4 km/h. She also mentioned Grigor Dimitrov, who has been injured since Wimbledon. She completed the list by adding Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff, who recently employed her former biomechanical coach before the US Open:

I just tried to return Shelton’s serve. Oh my gosh, I don’t know how guys deal with his serve. I tried to return Dimitrov’s serve and it was pretty tough. His rhythm is amazing so it was untouchable. Rybakina is a pretty big server and it is always tough to play against her on her serve. Probably my coach because he’s so bad, the time and the placement is so wrong it can be really tough to return. Coco also can be really tough to return her serve.

Sabalenka has dominated the women’s circuit this season, reaching eight tour-level finals, including three Grand Slam finals. She has won four titles, including the US Open, where she defeated Amanda Anisimova in straight sets in the final. She has also qualified for the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Aryna Sabalenka pulls out of the 2025 China Open in Beijing

Aryna Sabalenka has withdrawn from the China Open after failing to recover in time from a minor injury she suffered at the US Open in New York. There’s no information about the specific injury that the World No.1 suffered, but she will be hoping to kick off her Asian swing campaign at the Wuhan Open.