Aryna Sabalenka on Marg-Arynas, team TikToks—and her quest for that elusive Porsche

STUTTGART—No matter where Aryna Sabalenka appears, one thing is guaranteed: good vibes. It doesn't matter whether she's on the court, wowing fans around the world with her powerful strokes, or captivating people off the court with her open-minded personality.

This year marked Sabalenka's fifth appearance at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. She had already lost the final three times and thought it might be fourth time lucky in the German city.

"That's the only hope I have," she said with more than a hint of irony, and a twinkle in her eye, as she sat down with Tennis Channel DE.

"I think we all have very high expectations. But that's not my focus. I always try to focus on myself and play my best game on the court."

In the end, though, it wasn't enough against Jelena Ostapenko in a Monday final. The Belarusian therefore changed her plan to fulfil her dream of owning a Porsche.

"I'll just order it myself," she smiled as she congratulated the Latvian on her tournament victory.

Rewind to the beginning of the week, though, and Sabalenka arrived in Stuttgart refreshed. In order to prepare properly for her first clay-court tournament of the season, she took a break after her triumph at the 1000 event in Miami.

"I took a lot of time to train, prepare and put in the necessary fitness work," she says. "That's why I feel very good on clay."

And even though the world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam winner would have every reason to consider herself the favorite in every event she enters, the 26-year-old remains down-to-earth and relaxed.

"We'll see how the clay-court season develops," she says.

But how does the Belarusian manage to deal with the constant pressure to succeed and perform? She doesn't reveal any specific details, but one can assume that her cheerful, almost family-like environment and her own sense of humor play a key role.

For one week, beer instead of Marg-ARYNA

When Sabalenka won one match after another in Miami, eventually securing her seventh 1000 title without dropping a set, she toasted her success at the Tennis Channel desk with the popular margarita. When asked about this in Stuttgart, she smiled and emphasized the importance of correct pronunciation: “Excuse me, Marg-ARYNA!” she explained laughing."That's a different drink."

But in Europe, different habits are prevailing.

"I'll probably have to switch to beer here," she said when asked what her go-to drink might be in Germany. "I don't drink when I play, but hopefully there will be a drink after the tournament. We're in Germany, so it should be beer, right?"

With her team of Anton Dubrov, Jason Stacey and Andrei Vasilevski, she shares a similar sense of fun. During the Australian Open, Sabalenka adorned Stacey's head with autographs or stick-on tattoos—‘as a lucky charm.’ Her team members are also frequently seen dancing in her Instagram or TikTok videos.

"I get to choose any dance I want!"

"How do you get your team to dance with you?" we wanted to know.

"They actually love to dance," she explained, with a grin on her face. "They even gave me a certificate for five dances. Right, Andrei?" turning to Vasilevski.

"I get to choose any dance I want. I actually wanted them to do the chicken banana dance, but I didn't want to embarrass them too much. Now I'll think of another fun dance."

What is certain: There hasn't been a team dance yet this year, so five more will follow.

Before the world No. 1's time with us was up, she took on the challenge of reading German tennis terms.

"I always thought that Russian was difficult, but you know what? After these terms, Russian is now the easiest language," she explained with a laugh.

I actually wanted them to do the chicken banana dance, but I didn't want to embarrass them too much. Aryna Sabalenka

The interview where everything happened

When Sabalenka realized our conversation was coming to an end, she almost begged to stay: "Oh, why? This is great fun."

But that wasn't all. Because during the last round of our questions, in which Sabalenka had to decide whether she would rather take selfies with the fans or sign autographs, the lights suddenly went out.

The reason: the next match started on Centre Court in the background, which was introduced with a light show. But the Belarusian took the unusual situation in stride, with a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh no, do we have a flashing light?" she asked. "Well, it's going to be romantic now, with special effects!"

Special could also describe Sabalenka's tournament in Stuttgart. After a bye in round one and a walkover in round two, her tournament actually didn't begin until Saturday. She reached the quarterfinals without having played a single match.

After defeating former doubles partner Elise Mertens, and following a 7-5, 6-4 semifinal triumph over Jasmine Paolini, Sabalenka secured her place in the final. But it was all Ostapenko, 6-4, 6-1. Did she desire the Porsche too much?

The Belarusian continues her road to Roland Garros, a tournament she's also yet to win, in Madrid. Here, she also wants to make amends. Last year, she lost to rival Iga Swiatek in a classic final.

With a fresh mind, well prepared and—as always—in a good mood, Sabalenka wants to surpass her own results on red clay. Only one thing is for sure: it will be guaranteed entertainment, no matter how it turns out.