Courier believes that Sabalenka’s offensive power is what will set her apart this year in Paris.
“I think she can be a real force,” he said. “For me, it's one of those scenarios where if she's confident, she is tough for anybody to beat because she can cover the court and she can dominate from the centre.”
Sabalenka has already made quite a breakthrough in 2021. She transformed herself from a middling clay-court player with a career record of 14-12 on the surface, to a bona fide Roland-Garros contender. How?
The Belarusian says she didn’t need to change much in her game.
“For sure you have to follow your game, because this is your game, this is the game you are confident with and you have to stay there,” she said in Stuttgart this spring. “Just be ready for long rallies, and physically you have to be ready and also mentally, because the ball will come back.”