When Aryna Sabalenka is under pressure, that’s when she fights her hardest. We saw it in Riyadh. The world No. 1 fought and defeated Jessica Pegula, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in the group stage of the WTA Finals. But it wasn’t easy at all. Pegula continued to charge the net, cutting off angles and totally dominating the second set with excellent shots. It seemed that for a moment, Sabalenka was losing control. Then, she changed gears and turned the match.  After the win, she revealed what helped her turn things around.

In a post shared by The Tennis Letter, an interviewer praised her passing shots, calling them “insane,” and asked her about the win.  Sabalenka laughed and said, “I mean, she played incredible on the net. Like, every time I would try to go to, like, these a bit slower, wider shots, she would just she would be there.” The world No. 1 had every reason to smile after surviving a huge test. She was on the verge of back-to-back losses to Jessica Pegula but turned it around to win, improving to 2-0 at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Pegula, who had beaten her in Wuhan last month, came out sharp again. Aryna Sabalenka built an early 5-2 lead but failed to serve out the opener in the ninth game. Still, she broke Pegula in the very next game to claim the first set 6-4. Momentum then swung hard in Pegula’s favor. The Americans dominated the second set, breaking twice and holding comfortably to force a decider. When she broke again early in the third for 2-1, it looked like Sabalenka was slipping. The Belarusian, however, wasn’t finished.

To gain control, she fought back with forceful groundstrokes, broke twice, and won four games in a row. She used a confident service hold to end the match two games later.“She showed me why she’s great in doubles, and I was like, okay, you know what I have nothing else to do just go as hard and as heavy as I can down the lines. I was really enjoying it. She was pushing me to the next level.”  Sabalenka continued, reflecting on her strategy. It was a lot of fun. Her numbers underline the fight.

 Aryna Sabalenka won about half of all points played, landed 63.8 percent of her first serves, and faced 16 break points in total, saving several of them at crucial moments. Even after losing the second set, she never let her belief waver. Her ability to swing freely under pressure and hammer down the lines until she got the match was her secret weapon, not luck or patience. Is she now eligible to compete in the semifinals of the WTA Finals? Not just yet.

Her coach leaves mid-match, but Aryna Sabalenka refuses to back down

The night had its drama, too. Aryna Sabalenka’s coach, Anton Dubrov, left the match during the deciding set after a tense exchange. After the match, when asked what happened, she admitted, “I think I went a little too much on Anton. We’re gonna… probably still talk if he’s still here, but I don’t know where he is. But yeah, I went a bit too far. I was so frustrated inside of me, and I was just trying to let it go and probably went too far.” Despite the chaos, Sabalenka’s fight shone through.

She started her WTA Finals campaign with a win over Jasmine Paolini, but her semifinal spot isn’t locked in yet. To stay on top of her group, she needs to win at least one set against Coco Gauff in her last group-stage match. Before the tournament, Sabalenka said she really wants to win this title, as it’s one of the few big trophies missing from her career.

Sure, her tough three-set win over Jessica Pegula helped, but things could still change. If Sabalenka loses to Gauff in straight sets and Pegula beats Paolini, the standings might shift again. Gauff just defeated Paolini 6-3, 6-2, setting up a high-pressure match between her and Aryna Sabalenka. Both are in great form, and their upcoming clash could decide who moves on to the semifinals.