rewrite this title “I wanted to disappear” – Aryna Sabalenka admits to having major stage fright at Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid

Aryna Sabalenka, who was recently crowned the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award, admitted that she was overwhelmed by the presence of world-class athletes during the prestigious ceremony in Spain’s capital.

Tennis legend Novak Djokovic and former iconic freestyle skier Eileen Gu co-hosted the event. Along with the duo, the 27th year of the ceremony also played host to some of the most renowned athletes of various sports.

Simone Biles, Xavi Hernandez, Fabio Capello, Chloe Kim and Lando Norris are to name a few who present at the Palacio de Cibeles. Sabalenka was present among them and confessed she was in tears the “whole time” and ended up being speechless due to irresistible emotions.

“That room was full of legends, full of hard-workers, full of inspiring people. I got super emotional just from watching all of their stories. I was in tears the whole time, and it was a very cool event to see and get inspired by the others. It was just like, wow, what a night. I was speechless,” Sabalenka said while speaking to Tennis Channel.

She even joked about her speech and explained the rush of emotions that she experienced while addressing the sporting behemoths. Aryna Sabalenka even playfully admitted that she wanted to leave the event right after delivering her speech.

“Did you see my speech? I was going there, thinking how I want to say that and that, but then I got on stage and I looked out into the crowd and I was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s like, legends!’ I thought they wouldn’t be watching me, like they would be chatting or something, but they were watching and listening. I forgot how to speak! I was like, ‘I don’t know what to say!’ I wanted to disappear straight after my speech. But it was me, totally me,” she said with a laugh.

Aryna Sabalenka received the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award after ending the year at the top of the women’s rankings. Sabalenka successfully defended the US Open title and stormed into the Australian Open and French Open finals. Apart from her success at Grand Slam events, the Belarusian lifted the Miami Open, Madrid Open, and the Brisbane International championships.

Why did Aryna Sabalenka delay her start to the clay season?

After becoming the fifth women’s player to complete the Sunshine Double, Aryna Sabalenka was expected to recharge her batteries and begin her clay season at the Stuttgart Open 2026.

However, days before the commencement of the tournament, Sabalenka unexpectedly announced her withdrawal from Stuttgart. She explained that her absence stemmed from an unspecified injury that she picked up during her title-winning run in Miami.

She eventually made her first appearance on clay in Madrid. The World No. 1 announced her arrival with a commanding 7-5, 6-3 victory over America’s Peyton Stearns. She will square off against Belgium’s Jaqueline Cristian in the Round of 32 on Sunday.

Edited by Pritha Ghosh