She steps onto the court and screams. She screams so loud it can be heard on the stands. She screams not from pain — from anger. Her hits are so fast that the ball travels faster than 180 kilometers per hour. And after every winning point — a clenched fist, a roar, a look that can freeze her opponent. This is Arina Sobolenko. A Belarusian tennis player, former world No. 1. But it's not about the titles. It's about the credo. The life philosophy she embodies with every game. And this credo sounds simple: no excuses. Never. A Childhood that Forged Her Arina was born in Minsk in 1998. Her father, Sergey Sobolenko, a former hockey player, understood early on that his daughter was explosive. He didn't take her to ballet or piano lessons. He brought her to tennis. And he set a condition: either you train like crazy, or you don't play at all. Arina chose the first. She carried two coaches on her back, ran cross-country in the rain, practiced her serve until she had bloody blisters. Her father was strict, even cruel. But he taught her the main thing: no one will do the work for you. If you want to be the best, be the best in training. In 2019, her father passed away. Arina was 20. She had just broken into the top 10. Grief mixed with anger. Many would have broken, gone into the shadows. But Arina went to the gym and hit the ball even harder. "I'm playing for him," she says. This is the first part of her credo: turning pain into strength. Credo Number One: Don't Whine In an interview, Arina is asked, "How do you cope with pressure?" She shrugs her shoulders: "What pressure? I just play tennis. It's my job. I love this job. That's all." Without pretense, without complaints. She doesn't talk about fatigue, doesn't complain about the referees, doesn't look for excuses for losses. Lost? That means the opponent was better today. Tomorrow I'll be better. That's her philosophy. In tennis, there are many girls who say after a bad match, "I'm feeling unwell," "The court is uncomfor ... Read more