Sabalenka’s Coach Recalls Financial Sacrifices on Road to $50M Career

August 19, 2026 - 00:42

Aryna Sabalenka has now banked more than fifty million dollars in career prize money, but the journey to that figure was far from glamorous. Her coach, Anton Dubrov, recently looked back on the early days, recalling a time when every dollar mattered and comfort was a luxury they simply could not afford.

Even after Sabalenka had already broken into the world's top ten, Dubrov says they were still sharing hotel rooms to cut costs. It was a practical decision, not a sentimental one. The team knew that her potential was real, but the financial runway was short. Every tournament trip required careful planning, and staying together in one room was just part of the grind.

Dubrov remembers those years as a test of belief. There were no private jets, no lavish training blocks, just hard work and a shared conviction that the results would eventually come. He says Sabalenka never complained about the cramped conditions or the lack of comfort. Instead, she treated it as normal, focusing entirely on her game.

Looking back, Dubrov sees those sacrifices as essential. They built a bond and a work ethic that money cannot buy. Now that Sabalenka is a multiple Grand Slam champion and the world number one, the hotel rooms are bigger and the flights are private. But the coach insists that the mindset from those tough years never left her. It is the reason she still trains with the same hunger, even with the bank account to prove her success.