A brief meeting between the two on the Paris practice courts had fans wondering if Sabalenka was destined to win the 2024 title.
“Touched by a Champion,” which is now available on Tennis Channel Plus? A brief conversation between Aryna Sabalenka and Rafael Nadal on the Roland Garros practice courts this week prompted fans on social media to ponder if Sabalenka is destined to win the 2024 championship.
It all began in less than five seconds, with a harmless video posted by a Sabalenka-focused fan account on X, formerly Twitter. Nadal and Sabalenka can be seen passing each other as they alternate shifts on the practice court. As the 14-time Roland Garros champion walks past Sabalenka, who greets him warmly, he taps her on the shoulder.
“Blessed to win?” the account said in its message. After the video had been seen over 230,000 times, Sabalenka herself responded.
“Ahahahah, let’s see,” the world’s number two wrote, adding multiple laughing emojis and crossed fingers.
Ahahahah let’s see😂😂😂🤞🤞🤞🤞 https://t.co/SY2MJ2GRW1
— Sabalenka Aryna (@SabalenkaA) May 22, 2024
Aside from superstitions, Sabalenka has reason to be confident as she prepares for the clay-court major, where she is seeded second. Sabalenka was a point away from reaching the final in Paris a year ago, but Karolina Muchova pulled off an incredible rally to win their semifinal, saving a match point in the process. Sabalenka was deeply affected by the loss, but she also stated that she would recover stronger.
A year later, with another major victory under her belt, Sabalenka has stated that she is betting on herself, despite losing in the finals of Madrid and Rome against world number one Iga Swiatek. The potential revival of their rivalry will most likely be the main topic of the women’s event in Paris.
“Even though I lost these two finals, I mean, I never focus on the past,” Sabalenka stated following her defeat in Rome. “Regardless of how many times I lose against the player, I know that if I’m there, fighting, and focusing on myself, I can win. I’m heading there confident that I’ll do well.
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“Being No. 2 seeded, it’s tough to call yourself ‘underdog,'” she said. “I’m not the favorite person there. But at the same time, I believe I can go for it. It’s 50/50, you know? But I prefer to be the underdog.
“I definitely hope to make it to the final and win, whether it’s Iga or not. This is a wonderful tournament. It is a Grand Slam. I’ll just go there and battle for every point, then see what happens after the tournament.”