Belarusian tennis legend says he was ‘laughed’ at when he made bold Aryna Sabalenka prediction years ago

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Aryna Sabalenka has set the standard on the WTA Tour again in 2025, as she continues to prove her doubters wrong…

The 27-year-old won her fourth Grand Slam this year, when Sabalenka defeated Amanda Anisimova in the US Open final.

She’s also guaranteed to finish the year ranked number one in the world and leads her closest rival, Iga Swiatek, by 1,675 points.

However, while Sabalenka may be the best player alive right now, the tennis world wasn’t always convinced about her potential.

Speaking exclusively to The Tennis Gazette, Sabalenka’s fellow Belarusian, Vladimir Voltchkov, claims people laughed at him when he tipped her for greatness years ago.

Vladimir Voltchkov says he was ‘laughed’ at when he said Aryna Sabalenka could win Grand Slams

Voltchkov, a semifinalist at Wimbledon in 2000, was well aware of Sabalenka’s potential, having watched her develop in Belarus.

“You could tell right away, and you can probably find some home interviews, some people were laughing at me,” he said.

“I think it was 2016 or 2017, and we went on national TV back at home during one of the Fed Cup matches, they went, ‘What do you think about the potential of Aryna [Sabalenka]?’ I said I have no doubt that she’s a top 10 player and if things come together pretty well, she’s definitely a Grand Slam contender, potentially number one.”

Voltchkov knew Sabalenka had what it takes, recognizing some of the same traits Maria Sharapova had when he was a member of her team.

“For someone who worked with a player like Maria Sharapova for almost two years, you just see the magnitude, the power, and consistency of a player right away. Of course, I saw some of the mental things, sometimes she’s a little bit too punishing to herself, which sometimes slows her down a bit, but you cannot not notice, even in those days, her potential,” he said.

“I’m not just talking about the quality of her shots and physical strength, but actually her perseverance, hard work, you could see how dedicated she was to her goal.

“Aryna would literally be the first one to the tennis centre, starting preparing for the practices, she would be one of the last ones to leave.

“But the funny part is she actually enjoyed it so much. She would put on her headphones, get in the gym, get those foam rollers, slowly jogging… She was in a process, she was assembling herself as a supercar that eventually got to the racetrack and started winning races.”

‘Supercar’ Sabalenka now has four Grand Slam titles to her name, and Voltchkov doesn’t think she’s done yet.

Aryna Sabalenka will ‘definitely’ win at least 10 Grand Slams – Vladimir Voltchkov

The former world number 25 is confident that Sabalenka will continue to pick up majors over the coming years.

“I believe that Aryna will definitely be at least a 10-time Slam champion,” said Voltchkov.

“Her game is definitely getting better and better and stronger. So I believe she is a 10 Slam girl.”

He did, however, suggest that Sabalenka has ‘underachieved’ so far in her career.

“I might sound strange now, but I believe she still, as of now, has perhaps underachieved,” said Voltchkov.

“She’s lost three or four [Grand Slam] finals.

“I believe she could have developed as a slightly better player psychologically. I’m not the one who can observe that, but she’s doing a great job so far.”

Sabalenka went 1-2 in Grand Slam finals this year, losing to Madison Keys in Melbourne and to Coco Gauff in Paris.

On both occasions, Sabalenka lost focus in the big moments, allowing her opponents to take control.

Looking ahead to 2026, Voltchkov says Sabalenka should be wary of the chasing pack.

“The field is very competitive, and it will also depend on the younger girls coming in,” he said.

“It’s a non-stop tour where you have to find your time, and you have to find your niche and become the best in this niche and carry it on as long as possible.

“When we’re talking about the ability to win Grand Slams, I believe it’s not only up to your potential, but also about the competition.”

Only time will tell if there are more major titles in Sabalenka’s future, but it will certainly be worth looking out for.

Sabalenka will return to Grand Slam action at the 2026 Australian Open, which begins on Monday, January 12.