“That room was full of legends, full of hard-workers, full of inspiring people,” said Sabalenka. “I got super emotional just from watching all of their stories. I was in tears the whole time, and it was a very cool event to see and get inspired by the others. It was just like, wow, what a night. I was speechless.
“Did you see my speech?” she added with a laugh. “I was going there, thinking how I want to say that and that, but then I got on stage and I looked out into the crowd and I was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s like, legends!’ I thought they wouldn’t be watching me, like they would be chatting or something, but they were watching and listening. I forgot how to speak! I was like, ‘I don’t know what to say!’ I wanted to disappear straight after my speech. But it was me, totally me.”
Sabalenka was entirely herself on Thursday—both on court against Stearns rallying from break deficits in both sets to close out the American, 7-5, 6-3—and at the desk, where she admitted most of her Spanish vocabulary included curse words.
“Come on guys, I’m still dealing with English and you’re telling me to speak Spanish!” she joked. “One day I feel like I’m killing it with my English and another day it’s like bye-lingual. I’ll tell [my fiancé] Georgios, ‘Today it’s not working! Enjoy your free day from me! Nobody’s giving you a hard time!”
The top seed will next face No. 29 seed Jaqueline Cristian in the third round in Madrid.
