Anton Dubrov on Coaching Sabalenka, Her US Open Mindset & Wild Sleep Routine | Q&Andy

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**Andy Roddick** (1:06)
Hey, everyone. Welcome to Q&Andy. It's the show where I don't know what's coming. Yes, sir. Unless we have a guest. Who?
Boy, do we have a guest this week, Anton Dubrov. The coach, the number one player in the world, Aryna Sabalenka joins us on Served. How are you?

**Anton Dubrov** (1:25)
Hey, guys. How are you? I'm good. Pretty excited to be a huge fan of your show, the podcast. I just watched almost every video, and I think this is probably the best tennis podcast I would literally suggest to everyone to watch, because I think it's not just the inside, it's just the way you, Andy, describe everything.
For me, it's the highest IQ tennis level you can see.

**Andy Roddick** (1:50)
We pay Anton by the hour here at Served.

**Anton Dubrov** (1:53)
No pressure.

**Andy Roddick** (1:55)
Well, now I'm a little nervous. Now, listen, let's start with this. One, congratulations, you came on with Aryna as a hitting partner in 2019, and then the full-time coach in 2020
Listen, number one in the world, four majors. I mean, just, I think 18 titles since you've started working together. As fans, we've become spoiled by your successes in Team Sabalenka. So, when you're going into a US Open, and she acts like the rest of us and loses twice in hard courts and in a lead up, it's strange for us. So, what has that been like, and what adjustments are maybe different going into the US Open on the heels of maybe searching for some match wins versus previous years where you guys just win everything?

**Anton Dubrov** (2:42)
True. I think we're also kind of spoiled with lots of expectation around that, okay, I was being great, and you kind of come and determine, you plan, okay, we're going to stay here most likely till the end, and then not from nowhere, but then you're like, okay, we have to go, we have to practice, and then you find yourself, and not a depression, but you kind of lost. You're like, okay, so what's happening?
It's awkward, but at the same time, as we always have this approach, it's like, okay, first of all, we're looking for a solution and we're looking for the greatest one. So we're looking, okay, so let's say in this situation, like Novak or Serena, what have they been doing? How they actually got through? And then even like Kobe, I was like, we all love all this mentor thing from Kobe, what he was approaching all his careers.
There is no all the time success in your career. So it's all the ways. And I would say also, as female athletes, it's also sometimes like a hormone, things can be like playing around a little bit differently. So you have to also have to be aware, sometimes the emotions can be a bit differently. So you just taking this approach and okay, this is like, this is the, your careers are kind of alive with the waves. So it's gonna be not all the time like ups, so it's gonna be downs, but this is the, where actually you're gonna grow the most. So if we're gonna find the best solution, you're gonna be even stronger. So you've been great, but you kind of, with all the knowledge that we had, you kind of got to the limit, looks like. So we have to upgrade it. We don't have to find what was in the past and help you. We actually have to search for the new step that's gonna help you to be a better arena right now. So I think that's where we are right now. So whether, and with the US Open right now, at the big stage, she didn't win a slammer this year. So definitely she expected a lot from herself, but right now we're in a situation where we're like, okay, yeah, you can't expect it, but to be honest, we just have to work every day, just day by day, and build you match to match. We can't expect that you're gonna play perfectly, and this is great. We can use it as a motivation to be better, and okay, so right now everyone knows, okay, they can win right now. Maybe you know about it, but that's great. Now you can prove everyone who you are.