Aryna Sabalenka Doesn’t Get To Bed Until 2 A.M. During The US Open

Three days before she started defending her U.S. Open title, Aryna Sabalenka was standing in a Brooklyn pizza shop watching strangers do impressions of her.

That’s the kind of week she's having. She opened her title defense Monday with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Camila Osorio, and she plays Polina Iatcenko on Sept. 2 in the second round. Despite running around New York City for media interviews, brand-activation appearances, and practices, the Belarusian champion isn’t taking her eyes off the prize. She’s going for a third straight title.

“My mindset is that I’m ready to fight. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to do well at the U.S. Open,” Sabalenka says during our interview at Fini Pizza in Brooklyn Heights. She just finished judging Electrolit’s Battle of the Sabys, a contest to find the fan who could best copy her serve, her grunt, and her outfits.

While Sabalenka is best known for her intensity on the court, she’s playful and giggly when not competing. She tells me that she got a kick out of her impersonators. “They're having fun,” she says. “They're laughing, they’re staying positive, and they joke.”

Below, Sabalenka on her postmatch routine, what she’s watching with her fiancé, and her bedtime essentials.

Elite Daily: Walk me through the first hour after a match. What's the first thing you do when you get off court?

AS: I make sure that I stay hydrated and that I have some protein and some fruit. Then I do my cool-down on the bike.

ED: What are you watching and listening to during the Open? Is there a show and a song you're obsessed with?

AS: My fiancé and I are trying to finish Homeland right now. It's actually great, and I've never watched that show before. And my favorite song right now? I'd have to say "Eye of the Tiger."

ED: How do you get your head right after losing a match?

AS: I try to leave the place I lost as soon as possible, and then, after a couple of days, I sit down with my team to kind of wake up and think about what we have to improve or what we have to add in order to not make the same mistake.

ED: Say a match finishes at 11 p.m. What time are you actually asleep, and what's the wind-down?

AS: If it’s 11 p.m., then around 2 or 3, I would go to bed, and I would do all of my treatments and recovery stuff. I wouldn't rush myself. And the next day, I won't rush myself to go to practice. I will practice a bit later just so I can sleep seven to eight hours. And then the wind-down is putting on some TV show or maybe some YouTube channel to listen to something to fall asleep.

ED: How do you recover as an athlete who is always taking her body to the limits?

AS: Honestly, I like to keep things pretty low-key. After I work out or play, I usually need a little time to come down from all the adrenaline and then do all the things I need to do to feel good, rehydrate with an Electrolit, stretch, and just make sure I give my body what it needs.

Then I love being around my team, talking about tennis and life. We laugh a lot together and enjoy the moments together. Usually with some good food! And if I’m at home, there’s nothing better than getting to hang out with my fur baby, Ash. He's always just happy to see me. Sometimes it’s just getting good food, getting comfortable, and having a night where I don't have to think too much.

ED: What's your secret to a good night's sleep?

AS: Honestly, I think it’s just being able to fully switch off. Tennis takes up so much of my brain during the day, so when I'm done, I try not to take that energy into the night, even though that’s easier said than done. I love a cozy bed, having Ash around, and just having some quiet time. If I can put my phone away and have a little time away from thinking about what I have to do the next day, that’s the perfect night for me.

ED: What's one piece of advice you've gotten from a fellow athlete that's stuck with you?

AS: Enjoy the moment you’re in. We spend so much time looking ahead to the next match, the next tournament, or the next goal, so it’s important to stop and appreciate where you are. I try to remember that I'm very lucky to get to do what I love for a living, and that mindset makes everything a little more fun.

ED: Let’s do a lightning round. Early bird or night owl?

AS: Early bird.

ED: Coffee or no coffee?

AS: Coffee.

ED: Ice bath or sauna?

AS: Sauna.

ED: Phone in or out of the room at night?

AS: In.

ED: What are you manifesting for yourself right now?

AS: I’m manifesting a lot of good things, but especially enjoying this part of my life and being present for it. Of course, I have huge goals in tennis, and I always want to keep pushing myself. But with all of that, I want to enjoy the little things, spend time with the people I love, make more memories, travel, have fun, and hopefully have a lot more reasons to celebrate.