Sabalenka primed for Australian Open after exhibition experiments
MELBOURNE, Jan 16 : Aryna Sabalenka's off-season featured a string of exhibition matches and the world number one said on Friday they had given her the ideal platform to experiment and refine her game ahead of her push for a third Australian Open title. While the majority of players chose to wind down after a gruelling 11-month campaign, Sabalenka played exhibition matches in Atlanta and New York last month before facing Nick Kyrgios in a controversial "Battle of the Sexes" showdown in Dubai. She began the 2026 season by claiming the Brisbane title, mixing her raw power with a serve-and-volley game and deft touches that she believes will hold her in good stead ahead of the Melbourne Park major starting on Sunday. "I had a great off-season, so I was really recovered and ready," Sabalenka told reporters. "I played extra exhibitions, but I think they all made sense ... good matches to test a couple things that I'd been working on during the pre-season. "I felt exhausted after Atlanta and New York, but I had one or two days off, so I felt recovered.
