Pre-tournament press conferences at Grand Slams are quite telling, and in Aryna Sabalenka‘s case, it was a bit revealing as the Belarusian attempts a hat-trick of US Open titles. The World No.1 was candid about her indifferent form ahead of New York, while remaining optimistic about hitting top gear at Flushing Meadows.
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“That’s the beauty of the sport. Throw tough challenges at me, I will come back only stronger,” said Sabalenka in her press conference ahead of the US Open. “It wasn’t the best period. I don’t wanna defend myself. But obviously, I just don’t want to talk about that period. I’ve been dealing with several things. But who cares, right? I didn’t perform my best.”
“These tough lessons are definitely gonna make me way, way stronger. I’m working even harder. I work on my mental side of the game. I was trying to reset my mind and to come back stronger. It’s only gonna make me stronger. It’s only a matter of time for me to come back,” she added.
For professional tennis players, stability and peace in their off-court lives are important to have better on-court results. While Sabalenka hinted at off-court struggles, the Belarusian’s on-court form and on-court demeanor have often been under the spotlight in recent months. Before winning the title in Miami, Sabalenka had a 23-1 win-loss record, which then dropped to 17-7 after her Cincinnati loss.
Sabalenka has already shown tremendous mental resolve in her career, having suffered heartbreaking personal losses. The World No.1 lost her father in 2019, and then suffered from the passing of her ex-boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, in 2024. Both times, the Belarusian took refuge in tennis and used it to overcome her personal battles.
While she kept her personal life private at the press conference, Sabalenka’s problems on the court have been visible to everyone. The Belarusian’s inability to hold on to leads and her habit of completely fading away in her matches have cost her victories against the likes of Hailey Baptiste, Diana Shnaider, and Sara Bejlek, players who are well below her level and should not pose any serious threat to the World No.1.
The emotional energy that Sabalenka brings in her matches has served her well in the past, helping her go past the tough moments in the match, but that same energy seems to be hampering her in crucial moments, such as making unforced errors in the Wimbledon tiebreak against Naomi Osaka. Criticisms from former players do not help the cause, as Boris Becker and Johanna Konta have seriously questioned her ability to concentrate and dominate the field once more.
It’s not like Sabalenka has not attempted to find any solutions to her struggles, as the Belarusian went back to a recovery option that she had previously let go of.
Aryna Sabalenka Changed Her Stance on Professional Help to Find Solution to Her Struggles
Back in 2022, when Sabalenka was struggling with double faults and her overall on-court mentality, the Belarusian chose to take responsibility for herself to improve, rather than seek external guidance from a psychologist, whom she later let go. The step seemed to work at the time, as she won the Australian Open in 2023 and began her dominant run on the WTA.
However, the Belarusian is not resistant to changing stances, as her recent struggles saw her seek professional mental help. This one step shows that the World No.1 does not want to leave any stone unturned in her attempt to recover her mental edge and form back on the court.
However, despite all the criticism, if there’s one place where Sabalenka will hope to regain her form, it is the US Open. Since 2021, the Belarusian has at least reached the semifinals in New York, playing in the final in the last three seasons. She’s a two-time defending champion and is attempting to do something last achieved by Serena Williams.
The top seed is all set to begin her campaign against Camila Osorio in the first round, and will have the potential challenges of Barbora Krejcikova and Diana Shnaider before the quarterfinals. The Belarusian will need to hit the ground running and hit top form before she gets into the latter rounds to have a deep run in the tournament, something that will have a bearing on her No.1 ranking as well.