{"id":220489,"date":"2025-06-28T05:16:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-28T05:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/220489\/"},"modified":"2025-06-28T05:16:26","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T05:16:26","slug":"exclusive-access-to-a-day-in-the-life-of-world-no1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/220489\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive access to a day in the life of world No1"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is the Thursday morning before Wimbledon and the world No1 is cooking breakfast in her rented six-bedroom mansion near the All England Club. Under the instruction of Aryna Sabalenka at 10.45pm the night before, this is where we meet for a day in the life of a top player before tennis\u2019s most prestigious grand slam.<\/p>\n

Forty-five minutes before this, Sabalenka\u2019s alarm clock went off. Roger Federer famously talked up the benefits of a ten-hour sleep \u2014 and an additional two-hour nap during the day \u2014 but Sabalenka cannot countenance consistently being in her bed for that long.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsually for me it\u2019s good to have between seven to nine hours, not less and not more because I\u2019m going to feel tired and exhausted,\u201d Sabalenka says. \u201cSometimes I need those days when I\u2019m just sleeping as long as possible until I wake up, but on an everyday basis it\u2019s seven to nine hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Collage<\/p>\n

Sabalenka\u2019s Wimbledon routine infuses hard work and humour during the day in the life of a leading player<\/p>\n

ARYNA SABALENKA FOR THE TIMES<\/p>\n

The 12 hours that follow during the day bring unprecedented access to a top seed before one of the sport\u2019s four majors. No area is off limits as we follow Sabalenka and her trusted team of coaches and support staff around all corners of SW19.<\/p>\n

8.45am: Eggs, smoked salmon and dried cottage cheese for breakfast<\/b><\/p>\n

This quickly becomes apparent at her Wimbledon house. Within minutes of the security gate opening outside, I am standing in the kitchen watching her assist her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis \u2014 the founder of the Oakberry acai brand \u2014 with the numbing of his bicep to treat a ripped tendon. The injury was suffered recently when he attempted to hit some balls with Sabalenka on the court.<\/p>\n

Some may think that the world\u2019s best athletes immediately wake up and do ten push-ups when they get out of bed, but this is far from the case for Sabalenka. There has been no morning stretching since she woke up and all seems very relaxed as she pops some eggs into the frying pan on the hob. \u201cMy body is super stiff at this time and I\u2019m not ready to challenge my body,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The combination of fried eggs \u2014 on both sides for her \u2014 and smoked salmon makes for a light start to breakfast. A second course is then offered with what I can only describe as dried cottage cheese with raspberry jam mixed in. \u201cAn Eastern European breakfast,\u201d the 27-year-old from Belarus says.<\/p>\n

Soon, all members of her team are up and about enjoying the comforts of this luxurious property. It helps the laidback vibe that the accommodation for this tournament is unique compared to most other locations on the tour, where Sabalenka and her staff stay in separate hotel rooms.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s super nice here,\u201d Sabalenka says. \u201cIt feels like you are at home and have a little recharging moment. The whole year we are on the road and you get tired of the different hotels. When you are in the house it feels like a very cosy, comfy place to chill.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Three<\/p>\n

Sabalenka and her team are able to enjoy greater home comforts at the house they rent in Wimbledon compared with other events where their time is spent in different hotel rooms<\/p>\n

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND<\/p>\n

10am: Range Rover commute to All England Club<\/b><\/p>\n

Although the house is located only a ten-minute walk up the hill from the All England Club, a Range Rover with a Wimbledon logo awaits outside. Sabalenka is due to start her warm-up for practice at 10.15am and there is understandably no physical exertion before this.<\/p>\n

Amusingly, the driver gets a little confused by incorrect instructions from his seniors and attempts to drop off Sabalenka at the wrong side of the club. He is clearly panicking when Sabalenka politely points out they are going the wrong way, but as a former Wimbledon resident I am happy to help ease his sweating by assuring Sabalenka that the subsequent single track road he takes to get back on course is correct.<\/p>\n

\"Aryna<\/p>\n

Sabalenka negotiates her way around discarded Lime bikes to make the short journey to the All England Club by Range Rover<\/p>\n

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND<\/p>\n

10.15am: Comprehensive warm up\u2026 including the toes<\/b><\/p>\n

The first port of call on site at 10.15am is one of the gyms in the bowels of the club. While house music pumps out on the speakers, Sabalenka enters a 30-minute process in which she essentially prepares every part of her body for practice through mobility and activation exercises, with the assistance of her American fitness trainer Jason Stacy and English physio Helen Murawska. Using elastic bands to gently pull on her muscles, this even extends to warming up her toes.<\/p>\n

\"Aryna<\/p>\n

Sabalenka\u2019s morning routine extends to warming up her toes with the help of elastic bands<\/p>\n

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND<\/p>\n

\"Aryna<\/p>\n

\u2026 and continues with a series of stretches<\/p>\n

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND<\/p>\n

11am: Out on court and getting used to the grass<\/b><\/p>\n

The vibe so far has been lighthearted and fun, with quips between Sabalenka and her staff at various points, but all suddenly have the game face on when they step on to No7 Court for practice at 11am with Karolina Muchova, the world No15 from Czechia. As per the club rules, everyone standing in and around the grass court must wear all-white clothing.<\/p>\n

\"Aryna<\/p>\n

Further stretching prepares the top seed for a day on the practice court<\/p>\n

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND<\/p>\n

The first few balls are gently hit before Sabalenka quickly ramps up both her powerful groundstrokes and the audible grunt of exertion that comes with each hit. A swirling wind makes it challenging to serve and there are understandably a few aborted ball tosses. The lower bounce of the ball also is still taking some adjusting to after a long stretch on the clay courts of Europe.<\/p>\n

\"Aryna<\/p>\n

Things become more intense as Sabalenka takes to Court No7 for hitting practice, with her and her support team all dressed in white in accordance with club rules<\/p>\n

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a big transition because a clay court means a lot of running, a lot of moving and the ball bounces high,\u201d Sabalenka explains. \u201cOn the grass, you have got to stay super low. You have to work on your hamstring, on your glutes, on your lower back and make sure that the body can handle that amount of load you put on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout the week Sabalenka has also tested out her game against some of the world\u2019s best male players with opportunities to hit balls with Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Karen Khachanov.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love hitting with them,\u201d Sabalenka says. \u201cThe way they hit the ball, the explosion of the ball is so different. I love to feel that intensity. You learn a lot. Even if you just hit for ten minutes, you see some stuff that they\u2019re doing and you learn from that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe types of balls they hit are really tough to handle. Consistently they are going for the depth and are not missing. My core muscles were getting so tight because I had to hold the speed and the power, so it was also like conditioning for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

12pm: Exercise bike then back home for lunch<\/b><\/p>\n

After playing practice points with Muchova, the session wraps up at 12 noon. This is the first of two training hours on the court today and Sabalenka heads back to the gym for some conditioning on the exercise bike before heading back to her rented house for a 90-minute break, including chicken with quinoa and salad for lunch.<\/p>\n

2.30pm: Target practice with \u2018100 bucks\u2019 for a direct hit<\/b><\/p>\n

Sabalenka returns to the All England Club for an identical warm-up session to the morning, although this time it is conducted at the outdoor pop-up gym area at the Aorangi Park practice courts to the northern end of the site. The second practice then commences at 3pm, which consists of various drills to work on specific parts of her game.<\/p>\n

\u201cPractices are always different,\u201d Sabalenka says. \u201cIt depends on what I need to improve and work on.\u201d
Today there is an emphasis on target drills. Empty ball cans, rucksacks and shoes are placed by Sabalenka\u2019s coach Anton Dubrov in different sections of the court and a lighthearted wager placed in which she wins \u201c100 bucks\u201d for hitting one. She takes less than a minute to make contact with a backhand and less than two minutes with her forehand.<\/p>\n

\"Aryna<\/p>\n

Target drills form part of the afternoon regime for the world No1 with a \u2018prize\u2019 for a direct hit<\/p>\n

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND<\/p>\n

The contrast is striking at this point. Sabalenka is ferociously hitting the ball towards hitting partner and manager Andrei Vasilevski with her raw power \u2014 at last year\u2019s US Open her average forehand speed reached 80.2mph, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz (78.9mph), Sinner (78.2mph) and Djokovic (75.8mph) \u2014 but there is still a lot of fun and humour in the interactions between her and the team. Dubrov even acts as a target at one point, standing inside the service box line with his legs wide open.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just the way me and my team are,\u201d Sabalenka says. \u201cIt\u2019s not like we try to fake it.\u201d It doesn\u2019t matter whether it\u2019s the week before a grand slam, during a grand slam, or just some off-time, it\u2019s really important to balance being you and feeling free off the court. Most of the time we\u2019re having fun and joking around.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always call my team a family. They are the family with which we went through a lot of stuff together, and I have never felt betrayal or anything. For me it\u2019s important I can trust people I know and have a healthy environment around me. It\u2019s a big part of athlete life.\u201d<\/p>\n

4pm: Steak, selfies and sponsors\u2026 life as No1<\/b><\/p>\n

Sabalenka picks up her racket bag, puts it over her shoulder and makes the ten-minute walk straight from the court and back to her house. Along the way she is asked by a mother standing on her driveway for a photo with her daughter, who has just arrived home from school.<\/p>\n

Other than the The Times, there are no media commitments today. It seems a good time as we stroll up the hill to ask about her thoughts on the expectation placed upon her, as the world\u2019s best player, to articulate her thoughts moments after a loss. I ask this in reference to her recent error-strewn defeat by Coco Gauff in the French Open final. Within half an hour of coming off the court, Sabalenka said: \u201cI think she won the match not because she played incredible [but] just because I made all of those mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Aryna<\/p>\n

Sabalenka with Danny Yeung, chief executive of the IM8 brand that the top seed has promoted successfully<\/p>\n

ALAN CHAPMAN\/DAVE BENETT\/GETTY IMAGES FOR IM8 HEALTH<\/p>\n

Sabalenka has since made an apology to Gauff both publicly and privately. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty tough,\u201d she explains. \u201cSometimes we are under such high stress and honestly my intention wasn\u2019t to offend anyone. I was just super pissed with myself.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes you\u2019re just a human being, you let your emotions take control over you and you say whatever it is at the moment that you\u2019re experiencing it. Sometimes you regret stuff you say. It is always a learning process.\u201d<\/p>\n

A massage by Murawska to ease any bodily discomfort follows at the house before Sabalenka prepares for a sponsor\u2019s event in the evening. Earlier in the day she was announced as the new global ambassador and shareholder of the IM8 supplement brand, co-founded by David Beckham. A 10 per cent rise in the share price followed, which was an improvement on the lack of a surge when Beckham\u2019s involvement was confirmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously investors like champion tennis players over footballers,\u201d Danny Yeung, the chief executive of IM8, says jokingly before welcoming Sabalenka to the stage at a garden party in a nearby house.<\/p>\n

\"Aryna<\/p>\n

Sabalenka turns on the glamour with ease for the sponsor\u2019s event held at a house nearby to the one in which she is staying during the tournament<\/p>\n

HOLLY-MARIE CATO<\/p>\n

After adeptly handling a Q&A in front of the assembled guests, Sabalenka heads back to her house at the end of a long day. A chef is on hand to cook dinner, with her usual favourite: a rib-eye steak, salad and occasionally some French fries.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we have a chef, we stay in most of the time,\u201d Sabalenka says. \u201cWe just eat at home and do recovery. The week before a grand slam is hectic with a lot of stuff, events, sponsors, meetings and stuff. The only think you want to do in the evening is stay at home, have some food, chill, watch Netflix, drink some tea, and that\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Aryna<\/p>\n

Sabalenka is joined by her boyfriend Frangulis after winning in Wuhan last year. He is staying at the house with her during Wimbledon<\/p>\n

VCG\/VCG VIA GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n

As the day draws to a close, I reflect on the contrast to this time last year. On the first day of the 2024 championships, I was sitting at Aorangi Park when Sabalenka struggled to serve because of a right-shoulder injury before storming off the court in disappointment and frustration to withdraw. A day in her company this year has shown a far more upbeat vibe as she prepares for her attempt at a first Wimbledon title.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year was so tricky because it was a little muscle and I was out,\u201d Sabalenka says. \u201cThis year I feel like I have a huge opportunity. I am super excited, I am healthy, I am here and I am ready to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It is the Thursday morning before Wimbledon and the world No1 is cooking breakfast in her rented six-bedroom…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":220490,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4105],"tags":[79,1068,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-220489","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tennis","8":"tag-sports","9":"tag-tennis","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114759296012832066","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=220489"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220489\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/220490"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=220489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=220489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=220489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}