ARYNA SABALENKA said practising with Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner had sharpened her game after the world number one beat Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine 6-1, 7-5 in her Wimbledon opener on Monday.
The 27-year-old Belarusian top seed is a three-time Grand Slam champion but has never been beyond the semi-finals at the All England Club.
She is looking to ease the pain of losing in the finals of the Australian Open and the French Open this year.
Sabalenka broke Branstine twice in a one-sided first set as the Canadian struggled with her serve.
Branstine was a tougher proposition in the second set, winning the first game to love on her own serve, but missed a chance to break in the next game.
The 24-year-old was playing her first Grand Slam main-draw match, having enjoyed wins over French Open semi-finalist Lois Boisson and Bianca Andreescu in qualifying.
The match was locked at 5-5 in the second set before Sabalenka broke in the 11th game and held serve to set up a meeting with New Zealand’s Lulu Sun or Czech player Marie Bouzkova.
Sabalenka has had practice sessions with seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic and men’s world number one Sinner in the build-up to the grass-court tournament.
“It’s amazing,“ she said. “You play with them and you look on that side and you see the difference. You see the different approach to the balls. You’re learning.
“I think automatically you start reflecting what’s happening on that side. I think it really helped my tennis, to be honest.
“Now there are some balls that I used to struggle a little. Right now, I kind of understand a little bit better how to adjust to those balls.
“I feel like even today in the match and in the practice after hitting with the guys, I felt like I improved a couple of things in my game.
“I’m super happy that I was able to hit with them because I learn a lot.”
