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Who\u2019s had a better spring than Aryna Sabalenka? She pulled off the so-called Sunshine Double, winning the prestigious tournaments in both Indian Wells and Miami; she sat front row at Gucci in Milan (she was announced as an ambassador for the brand in January); she got<\/a> engaged<\/a>; she even got the puppy<\/a> she\u2019d been asking for.<\/p>\n We had a rare chance recently to sit down with the world number one and talk about her style, her infamous intensity, her hard-won happiness, and how she thinks tennis needs to change. We also talked about her new not-so-secret weapon: the much-whispered-about Wilson Blade v10 racquet, which launches today. (For the uninitiated: Wilson\u2019s Blade series, which debuted two decades ago, is the most-played racquet on the pro tour.)<\/p>\n Vogue<\/em>: Was the recent Gucci show in Milan your first fashion show?<\/strong><\/p>\n Aryna Sabalenka:<\/strong> No, I\u2019ve been to several, but not as an ambassador. This one felt special\u2014it seemed like a big moment for Gucci.<\/p>\n Have you been doing more things with them?<\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019ve done a couple of shoots already, but everything else is still in progress. We\u2019re definitely coming up with some cool stuff\u2014I\u2019ve already been throwing my ideas at them, and it seems like they\u2019re really accepting them. It\u2019s just a matter of putting it all together and figuring out the timing.<\/p>\n It also seems like you\u2019re having more fun with your style lately\u2014not just the early Gucci peeks that we\u2019ve seen, but in your everyday looks. Is that a conscious change?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve been working with [stylist] Karla Welch, and she\u2019s changed the way I see things a lot. I love fashion, love to get dressed up and have fun, but I feel like my style is more about classic pieces with maybe a little fun detail\u2014it\u2019s kind of like a balance, like a lot of things in my life. But I feel like power is in simplicity. That\u2019s my style.<\/p>\n How do you work with Karla?<\/strong><\/p>\n She knows everything about me, and we talk a lot, and from time to time we\u2019re messaging each other and I\u2019m like, \u201cKarla, it\u2019s time for some new stuff,\u201d and she just sends a whole suitcase. Sometimes we do fittings, of course, particularly for big events, like a trophy ceremony.<\/p>\n [At this point, we\u2019re joined by the newest addition to Aryna\u2019s traveling team\u2014Ash, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel\u2014who bounds into Aryna\u2019s arms for a big hug as she beams.] How did you end up with this amazing puppy?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve always wanted to have a dog, but it\u2019s really difficult to travel with one on tour. But then I made a deal with my coach [Anton Dubrov] at the US Open last year\u2014because obviously I\u2019d need the help of my team with this: If I win the Open, I get a dog. So I won it. And then I was like, \u201cOkay\u2014we should name him something related to New York.\u201d I won the tournament in Arthur Ashe Stadium, so I decided to call him Ash.<\/p>\n He\u2019s very cute.<\/strong><\/p>\n He sure is!<\/p>\n Maybe I\u2019m projecting here, but there seems to be more fun and more joy in your game lately, and less angst\u2014or is that just your Instagram that makes me feel this way?<\/strong><\/p>\n I mean, I\u2019ve struggled a lot, but then at some point I just realized that it\u2019s really important to do stuff that brings you joy and to surround yourself with people who are also fun, who are chill, who are there for you no matter what. When you have the right people, you feel protected, and you feel more relaxed and balanced in life\u2014it\u2019s impossible to feel sad around these people. But my Instagram is like the true me\u2014I\u2019m not faking anything. I\u2019m just trying to show people that it\u2019s possible to have fun being under pressure. I feel like it\u2019s important to send a message to kids that it\u2019s okay to have fun and also be disciplined and work hard. It\u2019s important to have balance. But it\u2019s all real. I have great people around me. [Laughing<\/em>.] So many good things I\u2019m saying about them\u2014too many, probably! I mean, our jokes are full of sarcasm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n