Aryna Sabalenka will be hoping to get revenge on Amanda Anisimova when they meet in Saturday’s US Open final. The American defeated the world No. 1 in the Wimbledon semi-final a few weeks ago, and Sabalenka look action, adding a new face to her coaching camp.
Former doubles No. 1 Max Mirnyi is now part of her team, and their new partnership is already proving successful as Sabalenka is through to her third straight US Open final. The tennis world has been delighted to welcome Mirnyi back to the circuit after he had surgery to remove a brain tumour, and the 10-time doubles Major winner has given an update on his health ahead of Sabalenka’s championship match.
At the end of 2023, Belarusian media reported that Mirnyi had surgery to remove a malignant brain tumour at Minsk hospital, and later flew to Florida to continue recovering.
The Olympic gold medallist has spoken little about the surgery since, but it’s been good to see him back on the practice courts alongside three-time Major winner Sabalenka in recent weeks.
As part of Sabalenka’s coaching team, Mirnyi addressed the media in New York ahead of the women’s singles final and discussed his surgery and recovery process.
“Well, it’s something that I didn’t really speak about publicly, but that whole news malignant came out when I was released from the hospital where the surgery was performed,” the 48-year-old explained.
“To be on the safer side, they put it down as a malignant to go under the most intensive care, because they couldn’t classify the tumour.
“After having arrived to this country, because the surgery was in Belarus, my tissue went through three or four different laboratories, which they also couldn’t classify what it was.
“So now the treatment is completed. The whole of ’24 I underwent the protocol procedure for the most aggressive ones. Luckily, everything is stable now, so I feel good and grateful to God that I’m here and have a chance to be at the US Open.”
Mirnyi has plenty of happy memories in Flushing Meadows, lifting the men’s doubles trophy twice and the mixed doubles crown three times. One of his mixed victories came alongside Serena Williams back in 1998 – one of her first Major titles in any category.
He’ll now be hoping to enjoy more success, this time as a coach. Sabalenka won the US Open last year, beating Jessica Pegula in the final, and she has the chance to defend her crown when she meets Anisimova on Saturday.
Sabalenka still works with long-time mentor Anton Dubrov, and performance coach Jason Stacy, and Mirnyi says he’s there to add a couple of extra elements to her game.
“There’s not much to say. She’s got plenty of tools. Me entering the team is just maybe – it’s a delicate mission, because if I can only add one or two extra tools in her toolbox that she can operate with, I would consider my mission complete,” he said.
“Other than that, she’s got a full force going for her. She just needs to remind herself that pressure is a privilege, and she’s a champion that will adjust.”
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