It has been approximately 10 and a half months since Aryna Sabalenka last played an official match on clay. That match was in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, where she experienced a disappointing defeat against the young Mirra Andreeva.

Following 13 hard-court tournaments and one grass tournament in Berlin, the world`s number one player is eager to compete at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and begin her European red clay season.

“I am happy to be back,” she told reporters in Stuttgart on Tuesday. “I feel good and am looking forward to starting to play on clay.”

Sabalenka smiled as she said this, already aware that her wait would be extended for a few more days.

As the top seed, Sabalenka received a first-round bye in the 28-player main draw and was scheduled to play the winner of the match between Anastasia Potapova and Clara Tauson. Potapova won against Tauson in a fierce match that lasted 2 hours and 41 minutes, recovering from a set down and saving a match point.

However, this victory came at a significant cost. Potapova announced on Instagram that she had aggravated a previous injury and would have to withdraw from the tournament.

“I was worried if everything was alright with her,” Sabalenka said. “So I messaged her, and I understood the situation. I was like, `What are you doing to me? My next match is on Saturday.`”

Indeed, because the tournament is observing the Good Friday Easter holiday, the quarterfinals will not be played until Saturday. Sabalenka will now face her former doubles partner, Elise Mertens, in her quarterfinal match. The possibility of a Sunday semifinal against No. 4 seed Coco Gauff or No. 5 seed Jasmine Paolini is also on the horizon.

“Yes, it`s a bit awkward,” Sabalenka admitted. “But we adjusted our practice schedule a little bit, and I guess it means more gym time for me.”

So, while she will be hitting the gym, without even picking up a racket, Sabalenka is in her fifth quarterfinal in Stuttgart – in as many attempts.

Her goal? To finally secure the title this time. Sabalenka has come very close to winning here, reaching the final three times. In 2021, she lost to Ashleigh Barty in three sets. In the following two years, Iga Swiatek was the champion.

“I lost three finals against World No. 1s,” Sabalenka noted. “So I thought, `Okay, I have to do it. I have to come back here as World No. 1. Maybe that`s the deal.”

“Of course, I have it in my mind. They were three tough matches. I will keep it in mind as motivation. If I reach the finals, I will be as hungry as ever, and I will be more focused than ever before.”

Sabalenka has won 23 out of 27 matches this year and is coming off a victory at the Miami Open, and she also won the title in Brisbane. The results that clearly stay in Sabalenka’s memory are her losses in the finals of the Australian Open and Indian Wells, to Madison Keys and Andreeva, respectively.

When asked if this was her best start to a season, Sabalenka referred to 2023 and 2024, the years she lifted the trophy in Melbourne.

By general agreement, her social media presence has never been better. She has 2.7 million followers on Instagram, and a typical video gets around one million views. Sabalenka revealed that she does not manage this alone.

“Obviously, all the pictures and videos are taken by me,” she said. “I just have a team that helps to put it all together. I think a year ago, I would put the videos together myself, and it took a lot of time. I just didn`t want to continue doing that.”

Suddenly, Sabalenka and her team have some unexpected free time.