"I survived a homeless shooting and stabbing at age 13." Behind tennis goddess Aryna Sabalenka is the "survival king" coach: "From slums to Wimbledon, a life turned around."

*This content was translated by AI.

Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 1 in women's tennis, revealed that her dedicated coach, Jason Stacey, once survived homelessness at age 13, enduring life-threatening situations involving stabbings and shootings.

The UK's "The Sun" reported on the 25th (Korean time) that "Coach Stacey opened up about his difficult past and harrowing survival story in an interview with 'The Times'."

Stacey, who is from the United States, was forced onto the streets at age 13 after his father, a U.S. Air Force pilot, passed away. During his time as a homeless person, he suffered three concussions after being shot in the head and also endured stabbings and gunfire incidents.

Stacey recalled, "It wasn't my choice; I was placed in inappropriate places and environments just to survive. But I never touched drugs."

A black belt in jiu-jitsu, he worked various jobs to save money and studied sports therapy. He later joined the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer (MLS) before joining Sabalenka's team. Stacey explained, "The survival instincts I learned on the streets shaped who I am today and earned me strong trust from those around me."

Stacey has been coaching Sabalenka for eight years since she turned 20 in 2018. The media reported that "while Sabalenka is talented, her performance was inconsistent; he significantly improved her physical condition and added diverse techniques to her signature power tennis. The two are known for their close relationship, with Sabalenka even jokingly drawing on his bald head."

Sabalenka herself has faced numerous hardships. She lost her father, Sergei, in 2019 and lost confidence due to severe serving issues in 2022. However, she overcame the crisis with intensive support from Stacey and serving specialist Gavin McMillan.

As a result, after winning her first Grand Slam at the 2023 Australian Open, Sabalenka went on to lift three more major titles. She surpassed $50 million (approximately 69.1 billion won) in career prize money and recently set a remarkable record by holding the world No. 1 ranking for 100 consecutive weeks.

However, her recent form has been somewhat inconsistent. After winning the Miami Open last March, Sabalenka entered the US Open without claiming another title. If she fails to win this tournament, it will be the first year since 2022 that she goes without a Grand Slam victory.

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*This content was translated by AI.