Champ's touching 'thank you' to tennis icon

1 year ago 105

Billie Jean King's presumption arsenic 1 of the astir influential players successful women's tennis wasn't mislaid connected Aryna Sabalenka arsenic the fable presented her with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Trophy.

The Belarusian, who bushed Khazakstan's Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 successful the Australian Open final, paid tribute to the American tennis icon.

King championed sex equality for women's tennis, starring efforts to execute adjacent wage with the men's game.

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She was besides cardinal successful the constitution of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), which began with conscionable 9 members and present has astir 2000 players connected its books.

In an affectional post-match interrogation littered with laughs and tears, Sabalenka thanked King for her publication to the athletics and praised Rybakina's game.

"It's specified an inspiration to person this trophy from you, convey you truthful overmuch for everything you've done for our sport," Sabalenka said.

"I couldn't beryllium much thankful, convey you truthful much.

"I privation to congratulate Elena for an unthinkable 2 weeks. you're specified a large subordinate and of people we're going to person galore much battles hopefully successful the finals of the expansive slams."

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She besides took a infinitesimal to convey her team, who helped her flooded her nightmare serving struggles that plagued her game.

It ended a fearfulness tally of semi last blowouts, having thrice made it to the penultimate signifier of expansive slams – doubly astatine the US Open and erstwhile astatine Wimbledon.

"My squad … the craziest squad connected tour, I would say," said Sabalenka.

"We've been done a batch of, I would say, downs past year.

"We worked truthful hard and you guys merit this trophy. It's much astir you than astir me.

"Thank you truthful overmuch for everything you're doing for me. I emotion you, guys, convey you."

Sabalenka's maiden expansive slam triumph continues a purple spot for the 24-year-old, who began the twelvemonth by winning the Adelaide International.

She thanked the courtside fans, promising a instrumentality successful 2024.

"I anticipation adjacent twelvemonth I travel backmost stronger and I'll amusement you adjacent amended tennis and you guys enactment maine erstwhile more," she laughed.

"Thank you!"

Huge roar for tennis icon

Sabalenka, who presently lies 5th successful the WTA rankings, volition emergence to 2nd successful the standings conscionable down Iga Switak erstwhile they're adjacent released connected Monday.

It sees her walk Caroline Garcia, Jessica Pegula, and Ons Jabeur.

Rybakina, meanwhile, leaps each the mode from 25th to 10th, contempt not getting immoderate points from her Wimbledon rubric past year.

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