After going back to basics, Sabalenka has 'huge hopes' for hard-court summer

The last time the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz saw Aryna Sabalenka, the World No. 1 was ready to leave tennis behind -- at least for a little while. 

“I want to get completely drunk, forget about tennis,” Sabalenka told reporters after falling to Naomi Osaka in straight sets in the fourth round at the All England Club -- her earliest Grand Slam exit in four years. “And try to get better.”

But after a month of rest, relaxation, and getting "back to basics" on the practice court, Sabalenka is back on her favorite surface this week at the National Bank Open in Toronto. And she has "huge hopes" for the second half.

With the benefit of hindsight, Sabalenka said that her efforts on the natural surfaces "wasn't ... that bad." But a 13-5 record, and no final appearances, fell short of the lofty standard she set for herself over the season's first three months, where she won three titles in four main draws (and was one set away from winning the Australian Open, too). 

"I was trying a couple things, things didn't go the way that I expected ... and I really hope it's going to work out well on the hard court again," she said.

After a demanding first half, Sabalenka stepped away from the tour for a brief vacation in Mykonos, a break she believes was essential for both her body and mind before the stretch run of the year.

"I suffered during the summer swing a lot like with my body, with mentally also a little bit," she said. "It was much needed. After Mykonos ... I felt much better. I couldn't wait to get back on court and start working towards my goals for this swing."

The reset wasn't just mental -- it was tactical, too. While the four-time Grand Slam singles champion has credited the decision to augment her first-strike power game with a commitment to variety, she spent her break focusing on rebuilding the foundation of her aggressive baseline style.

"It's a routine," she said. "It's lots of rallies, lots of basic work, like cross-court. I don't know, it's just like ... going back to like really small variety of the game. Don't go too much into these angles, dropshots, like serve and volley, just kind of bring back the baseline game, make sure I'm really confident there. Then, on top of that, put some variety."

After missing the WTA 1000 event in Canada last year, Sabalenka has a chance to collect valuable ranking points and reinforce her grip on No. 1 in the PIF WTA Rankings ahead of Elena Rybakina with a strong effort up north. She'll first get the chance to put her refreshed approach to the test on the match court when she faces Japan's Moyuka Uchijima in the second round on Tuesday.