One would think that being a World No.1 and a two-time defending champion would be enough to be considered a Grand Slam favorite, but that’s not the case for Aryna Sabalenka. Going into the US Open, the Belarusian’s form has been under the spotlight since March, as the seemingly unbeatable World No.1 has taken some tough losses. Former WTA Pro, Johanna Konta, also had her say on Sabalenka’s form, stating that the Belarusian was not the favorite for the title at Flushing Meadows.
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“I don’t think Sabalenka’s winning it,” said Konta in an interview with TNT Sports. “I don’t think it is necessarily a question of level, because she can play well, she can find a consistent level in every match, it’s not because of that. I actually think it’s because players in the draw believe a bit more right now when they are against her.”
“So when Sabalenka has those lapses, which she does every match, she has lapses – depending on how solid she is or how long those last, I don’t think she’ll be able to get away with them. So she really created a strong image around herself of being relatively unbeatable in certain situations. I think that has really come down a notch since Miami.”
Sabalenka had started the 2026 season just where she had left off in 2025, as she lost only one out of her first twenty-four matches in the year. The one loss was in a marquee clash in the Australian Open final, but the Belarusian had won the Brisbane title and completed the coveted Sunshine Double by dominating the fields in Indian Wells and Miami, beating her closest rivals, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff, in the respective finals.
However, since then, the Belarusian has shown signs of wear and tear, especially at the Grand Slams. Her loss at the French Open to Diana Shnaider sparked a massive discussion about the World No.1’s form and on-court mentality, as she dropped 10 consecutive games to lose the match, despite being one game away from victory. Her Wimbledon loss to Naomi Osaka saw her frustrated once again, and, as the top seed, she could not seize the crunch situations that have been her hallmark during her reign as the World No.1.
Sabalenka’s recent hard-court outings at Toronto and Cincinnati saw the Belarusian having fourth-round exits, losing to the likes of Ekaterina Aleandrova and Sara Bejlek. In her Cincinnati loss to Bejlek, the World No. 1 yet again gave away a 4-1 lead in the second set to lose the match and showed signs of frustration toward the ball boy.
Taking all into account, Konta’s assessment of Sabalenka not being in the running for the title in New York still feels like a bold prediction, given the Belarusian’s 34-6 win-loss record at Flushing Meadows. However, her recent form will be a big challenge for Sabalenka, who has Barbora Krejcikova, Diana Shnaider, and Jessica Pegula in her half of the draw. The Belarusian will also face the added pressure of defending her World No.1 ranking against Elena Rybakina, with the Kazakh in contention for the top spot even if she cannot come to New York due to injury.