Going into the US Open, World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka‘s form has been a topic of discussion among fans and pundits alike. And the six-time Major Champion Boris Becker had his say as well. The German legend was realistic about the Belarusian’s recent on-court struggles, even pointing towards her active social media life.
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“I love watching her play, but right now you see her more on social media than on a tennis court. And that’s fine”, said Becker on the Becker-Petkovic podcast. “Maybe she’s lost a bit of concentration. For a long time, she played at the highest level, earned a lot of money, won many titles, etc. She also recently got officially engaged. Is it possible that her private life is her priority right now? And that tennis has taken a backseat? Because that would explain a lot”.
Becker is not far off in his assessment, as Sabalenka has shown signs of losing her concentration during matches, which has seen the Belarusian give away positions of advantage. In the seven losses she has suffered since March, Sabalenka has suffered from two 0-6 set losses, including one at the hands of Diana Shnaider at the French Open, and the other one against Jessica Pegula in Berlin.
The World No.1’s recent loss against Sara Bejlek in Cincinnati had a similar pattern as well, with Sabalenka letting go of a big lead in the second set to lose the match. In her Wimbledon loss, she made crucial errors in the second-set tiebreak, something that was not associated with the World No.1 in recent years.
As far as social media is concerned, Sabalenka has made no qualms about the fact that she finds the much-needed refreshment by being online. She has over five million followers on Instagram, and her team’s dance videos on TikTok have seen her enjoy her life on court while dealing with the pressures of being World No.1. The Belarusian made it clear in a recent Time interview that spending time on social media was important to her and that she did not mind the criticisms she received for doing so.
Being active on social media has both a personal and professional aspect for Sabalenka. While she shares glimpses of her travels across the Tour and some moments with her fiancé, Georgio Frangulis, she also provides periodic updates on her brand sponsorships and the various brand ambassador roles she secures.
Should Sabalenka make an early exit in New York, the Belarusian will be in real danger of losing her No.1 ranking to Elena Rybakina, who is just about 400 points behind her. Despite being the defending champion and being a dominant No.1 in the last three years, the Belarusian has been subjected to some heavy criticism from ex-players like Johanna Konta, who had a bolder say about Sabalenka’s form, compared to Becker, with the British ex-pro clearly stating that the Belarusian was not in the running for the title in New York this year.
In case she does not win the US Open, this will be the first time since 2023 that the Belarusian will fail to secure a Grand Slam title. While that would end a commendable streak, no one can deny the dominant period Sabalenka has had since then, reaching 25 Tour-level finals and winning 14 titles.