Remember the famous saying, “Do not allow setbacks to set you back“? The World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had a disappointing outing at the Middle East swing. She made early exits from both the Qatar Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships. And the Belarusian was clearly disappointed. “I feel my hunger for the game is not as strong on the court…I’m far from my best.” But she isn’t letting that dampen her spirit at all. The 26-year-old was recently spotted having yet another fun moment with his coach, Anton Dubrov. During the 2025 AO, Sabalenka showcased her fun-loving nature to her fans when she was seen enjoying her hilarious dance session with her teammates on the court in Melbourne. Along with Anton Dubrov and Aryna Sabalenka, Jason Satcy and Andrei Vasilevski joined the fun session as well. “A team of many talents?” Perhaps, so! Because even her fierce rival Iga Swiatek once said, “I think Aryna’s team is one of the most professional I’ve seen on tour. They’re kinda taking care of everything.“Talking about the importance of having this light-hearted atmosphere in the team amid a hectic schedule, Sabalenka’s fitness coach, Anton Dubrov once said, “I think it’s crucial. It’s an important key element to any performance, to development. As you guys know, it’s all year nonstop, just pressure, pressure, pressure, attention, attention, trying to get better, trying to get better.” He believes finding a balance between fun and discipline is extremely crucial and talking about fun, well, Dubrov recently managed to find a way to make Sabalenka smile amid her series of disappointments.What did he do, though? Well, the coach spoiled her picture during a practice session. After her shocking exit from the Dubai Tennis Championships at the hands of Denmark’s Clara Tauson, Sabalenka is now all set to compete at the Indian Wells Masters which is scheduled to take place from March 2-16. Before that, the Belarusian was seen enjoying her practice session with her coach, Dubrov. However, in between the practice session, there was a moment when the coach spoiled her picture. Sabalenka highlighted that moment on her IG story with the caption, “Anton get off the pic @antoniodubrov.“Aug 17, 2024; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Aryna Sabalenka acknowledges the crowd after winning her match against Liudmila Samsonova on day six of the Cincinnati Open. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY SportsDubrov started working with Sabalenka in 2020. When the Belarusian was asked about the exact reason behind this new inclusion to her team, she said, “He [Dubrov] knows me quite well, he knows what I need, what we have to work on.” Since his appointment, Dubrov has helped Sabalenka clinch 8 titles including three Grand Slams. How highly does Sabalenka rate his coaching staff?“Your support in everything” — Aryna Sabalenka heaps praise on her teamAryna Sabalenka often jokes about firing her teammates and blames them after she loses a match. For example, after her recent exit from the Dubai Tennis Championships, she had a fun Q&A session with her fans on her IG account. During that fun session, a fan asked her what sort of conversation she usually has with her team after these types of disappointing results.In reply to that, Sabalenka jokingly said, “Going shopping, eating sugar, a bit of drinking my fav tequila. Seriously, I blame them for losing and we are good. But for real, we go and work harder to fix and improve my game.” Amid the amusing blame game though, the Belarusian also showcases her love and admiration for her team’s support through thick and thin.After winning the 2024 US Open, she said, “I just realized that we’ve been through a lot with this group of people, and they never left me or doubted my success. They always believed in me, and they were always there and talking to me, making sure I’m all right.“ The fun moments with her team amid a busy schedule help Sabalenka stay calm. Even before the Qatar Open, Dubrov and Aryna Sabalenka were spotted having a hilarious training session. The World No. 1 shared that moment on her IG stories with the caption, “My coach is better than yours .”The 2024 season was quite exceptional for Aryna Sabalenka, as she clinched two major titles. However, the 2025 season hasn’t gone as per her plans. Can Dubrov and her team help the Belarusian star get back to winning ways at the Indian Wells Masters?The post Happy-Go-Lucky Aryna Sabalenka Keeps It Light, Jokes With Coach Post-Dubai Setback appeared first on EssentiallySports.