World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka may be a three-time Grand Slam winner but the Belarusian revealed Friday how she had been berated and told she would not succeed by coaches as a youngster. On Friday, top-seeded Sabalenka eased into the French Open last 16 with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Serbia’s Olga Danilovic on Court Philippe Chatrier.

‘Always motivated’

And the 27-year-old Miami-based played spoke of the cultural difference of the coaching system in Eastern Europe. “I’ve always been quite motivated and they didn’t have to push me,” Sabalenka said. “But I have heard a lot saying I’m not smart enough, that I’m stupid, and I’ll never make it, and I don’t have anything to make it to the top. I guess I want to send a quick message to them to quit their job, because honestly, I think they know nothing and they better quit just to save other players.”