Photos by Kasey Shamis
The 2024-2025 season only spanned two events for Sabrina Sobhy, who was sidelined for the majority of the season due to injury. Sobhy, who has been ranked as high as world No. 13, will be focused on returning to form this season to climbing back up the world rankings where she belongs.
Age: 28
World ranking: No. 92
Hometown: Sea Cliff, NY
What are your goals going into this season after a difficult injury hiatus last year?Â
A main goal is, of course, to return to consistent competition pain-free. If I can successfully get through the whole season without any more injuries that would be a huge success. I definitely have a newfound appreciation and level of gratitude after a year of being unable to play and compete. Another goal is to keep that mindset throughout the season. It’s easy to forget what I’ve just been through and get caught up in the results, rankings and performances again. If I could stay consistent with having gratitude for being able to play pain-free, I will have a much more enjoyable and successful return to the tour. I would love to compete with the top females again and challenge them on court. I feel I have all the skills to do so and now it’s just a matter of putting it all together in competitive matches again.
What tournaments are you looking forward to most?
I am looking forward to the U.S. Open. I enjoy competing in familiar settings. Things are more predictable and having the comfort of staying in your own home adds important controllables. I’ll have to play some different tournaments this season than previously while I work on getting my ranking back up; I look forward to trying new events and hopefully seeing new sights and meeting new people!
Is there anything you are changing or approaching differently this season?
Definitely. I’d like to make this season one where I go into each event and match with a ‘nothing to lose’ mindset. I’ve been out for a year and my ranking is 100 places lower than before so I am approaching this season by keeping my own version of success separate from my results. I’ve experienced a great deal of adversity over the past year, and I am well aware that getting back to where I was pre-injury won’t happen overnight, so I am going to be extra kind to myself this season.
How did it feel returning to competitive play at the U.S. Championships and NSL finals in June?
It was exciting. I felt like a child again – I had absolutely no care about how I played and was just enjoying every moment on court. I’m hoping to bring that energy into the next few tournaments.
Anything else you would like to add about this upcoming season?Â
I am excited to feel that challenge of facing competition and all the discomforts that come along with it. I feel like I have the strongest team around me this season and that makes a huge difference.
I am looking forward to entering this new season knowing I have the support system to achieve my goals and make me a better player than I’ve been in the past.
