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Cibulkova, into first final of 2017, admits her success affected her

The Slovak's approach has been different in 2017, but she's chang

ByKamakshi Tandon

Published Aug 26, 2017

Dominika Cibulkova says she has had to adjust to her status as a top player on the WTA tour, and is now starting to play the way she wants again.

The 28-year-old reached the Top 5 when she won the WTA Finals in 2016, but has since dropped to No. 11 in the rankings. Having gotten into her first final of the season in New Haven this week, Cibulkova acknowledged that her success affected her.

"Every single match I was approaching, I was [the] favorite. I didn't approach it in a good way. I was just putting too much pressure," she was quoted as telling journalists following her semifinal victory.

That is not what she did in 2016, Cibulkova added.

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"I was just going to the match," she said. "Wanted to give my 100 percent, not really think about a score, if I have to win or not. That became my priority in the beginning of the year. I was just thinking about that too much—I should be the one winning this one. It was just not working for me."

The former Grand Slam finalist has worked to return to her previous mentality.

"Just, it took me some time," she said. "I just started to focus on myself much more, [and] not to think, 'I should win.'"

A shoulder injury which also affected her has improved, and the Slovak was happy with her semifinal performance against a hard-charging but erratic opponent in Elise Mertens.

"But I had a very high level of tennis," she said. "I was hitting the ball pretty hard, and I was not letting her play what she wanted to play."

Cibulkova has won eight tour titles, and will go for her ninth on Saturday against Daria Gavrilova.

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Cibulkova, into first final of 2017, admits her success affected her

Cibulkova, into first final of 2017, admits her success affected her

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