Less than 24 hours after Aryna Sabalenka lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup as the Australian Open champion for the second time, she was posing for the cover of Vogue magazine in Australia.
Clad in a roster of Australian designers including Christopher Esber, Camilla & Marc, Dion Lee and Zimmermann, Sabalenka posed for the camera and let writer Jessica Montague into her world -- literally -- in an accompanying written feature that pulled back the curtain on the whirlwind that comes after a Grand Slam title. The cover shoot was staged in Sabalenka's Melbourne hotel room as a part of her post-championship media blitz, which also included a trophy tour around Melbourne's iconic Carlton Gardens.
"I actually love doing photo shoots," Sabalenka confessed -- but in the presence of professionals, the ebullient 25-year-old joked about being less confident.
“I think I need to do some classes and learn some stuff about how to pose."
The off-court spotlight might still take some getting used to, but Sabalenka is in pole position to step into it after storming to the title at the year's first Grand Slam for the second year in a row -- making her the first woman to win consecutive Australian Open titles since Victoria Azarenka in 2012-13. (In the offseason, Forbes magazine ranked Sabalenka sixth among female athletes with $14.7 million in 2023 earnings -- a number that only has the potential to rise this year after she already earned $3.285 million in January.)
But winning in Melbourne again has done little to satiate Sabalenka's motivation, she told Montague. In fact, it's only increased it.
“It’s really crazy, and I still need some time to realize what just happened," Sabalenka said. "It’s just a dream and I couldn’t even dream about it. After this kind of achievement you’re getting more hungry, you want more, and I’m even more excited now to keep going. To keep doing my best … I’m hungry for more. I’m super motivated to keep working hard and keep fighting for it.”
Styled by Emma Kalfus and photographed by Simon Eeles for Vogue, Sabalenka donned a blue Christopher Esber dress and Cartier jewelry for the cover. She also turned heads in a bold, red Zimmermann bodysuit and skirt -- a nod to the red Nike dress she wore in each of her seven Melbourne victories, perhaps?; a black, bejeweled crop top, pants and skirt by Dion Lee; and a green Camilla and Marc bodysuit completed with a black blazer.
