Aryna Sabalenka said she is working hard to treat herself more kindly after a straight-sets win over Renata Zarazua in the opening round of the China Open.
The second-ranked Belarusian served 11 aces and was never broken, beating the Mexican 6-1 6-3 in just 63 minutes. It was her first match since Elena Rybakina replaced her at world number one and took her US Open title in September.
Sabalenka, 28, is chasing her first trophy since March, when she won Indian Wells and Miami in succession to complete the "Sunshine Double". The season has been inconsistent by her usual standards. She will finish the year without a major title for the first time since 2022 and has frequently struggled to manage her frustration during matches.
Asked about her habit of being so critical of herself, she described it as a trait with both benefits and drawbacks. Expecting more from herself can push her to improve, she explained, but it can also wear her down mentally. She admitted it is something she still has to master, and that she is putting real effort into being gentler with herself.
Next she plays 20-year-old Czech Nikola Bartunkova, who took her close at the Berlin Open in June. Rybakina, the top seed, starts her tournament on Saturday at the WTA 1000 event.
Elsewhere on the women's side, Britain's Katie Boulter lost 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 to Wimbledon finalist Karolina Muchova. French Open champion Mirra Andreeva fought back from a set down to beat Chinese wildcard Yuan Yue 3-6 6-0 6-0.
In the men's draw, sixth seed Daniil Medvedev hit 12 aces in a 6-4 6-2 win over Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta. In doubles, Britain's Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool beat Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov of Russia 6-3 6-4.
Djokovic fights back to reach round three
Novak Djokovic moved into the third round by beating China's Bu Yunchaokete 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2. The six-time champion has won all 31 of his matches in Beijing, but he was pushed hard after losing the opening set.
The 39-year-old Serb took a medical timeout during the second set after surrendering a break, and picked up a time violation while catching his breath between points. He also spoke to the trainer, as he had in his opening win over Nuno Borges. Even so, he controlled the tie-break, won four straight games in the decider and closed out the match after 2 hours 52 minutes with a backhand winner.
His next opponent will be either US Open champion Alexander Zverev or China's Shang Juncheng, with a quarter-final spot on offer on Saturday.
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