Aryna Sabalenka’s 2025 season has been a cycle of hope, heartbreak, and hopelessness. Exactly in that order. Winning a career-high two Grand Slams in a single season last year (Australian Open, US Open), the Belarusian had aspired to carry that same momentum this year. But that’s easier said than done. Her heartbreak began in Melbourne this year, where an aim to complete a rare AO three-peat was snatched by Madison Keys in the final. Then at Roland Garros, she met the same fate against Coco Gauff. At Wimbledon, the heartbreak continued with a semifinal defeat vs Amanda Anisimova. What went wrong? Well, Serena Williams’ former coach might have an answer.

But to understand that, we’ll need a little backstory. Notably, during Sabalenka’s Roland Garros semifinal win, she had outplayed Iga Świątek before things started unraveling with great force. The World No.1 lost her cool on court, yelling at her team and getting visibly frustrated as the match slipped away. Later in her post-match press conference, she didn’t hold back. The 27-year-old insisted Gauff hadn’t won the match, but instead she had lost it. She also blamed the windy conditions and claimed Świątek, whom she had just beaten, would have handled Gauff better that day. A few days later, Sabalenka spoke again, but with a different tone.

Making a heartfelt apology to the US star, she said, “I’ve always been really good with Coco. I didn’t really want to offend her. I was just completely upset with myself, and emotions got over me. I just completely lost it. I did what I did. I get what I deserve, I believe. It was a tough time for me. The lesson is learned. This time the emotions took over me. In the finals or semi-finals, sometimes I can get over-emotional. I would like to improve that.” That very meltdown, according to Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, speaks to a deeper issue.

Talking to Polish publication Sports.pl, he said, “Aryna is the leader of the ranking, but mentally she competes with herself, she has always been emotional. However, when you experience everything too much on the court, you lose concentration, and then games and points. This is what I have seen several times this year during her duels. Grass does not seem to be the best surface for it. On hard courts, however, she will remain the favorite, which every rival will want to beat. We’ll see how she handles it.”

Unfortunately, that pattern of emotional spirals showed up again at Wimbledon just a few weeks later. Against Anisimova in the semifinal, Sabalenka couldn’t keep her frustrations in check. There were screams, shrugged shoulders, and conversations with her box, but this time it looked more controlled. After the match, Sabalenka told the media that she had made a conscious decision to stay calm, especially given what had happened earlier.

The three-time Grand Slam champion said, “Every time I was close to completely losing it and start, I don’t know, yelling, screaming, smashing the racquets, I kept reminding myself that’s not an option. It’s not going to help me to stay in the match and fight for my dream. I took a bit more time before doing my media just so I can be Aryna, not that crazy person on that media day at Roland Garros.”

But, despite missing out on all three majors so far this season, Aryna Sabalenka isn’t letting it define her year.

Aryna Sabalenka is “proud” despite Grand Slam drought

The numbers tell a different story. Aryna Sabalenka has won 47 matches, claimed three titles, and leads the rankings by a massive 4,751 points. Her place at the top is undisputed. However, she could finish the season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2022.

Following her Wimbledon defeat, the Belarusian made it clear she’s proud of her consistency and believes it’s just a matter of time before things click again. The World No.1 said, “I think even though I lost a lot of finals, I lost tough matches at the slams this year, I still think that the consistency I was able to bring till this moment, it’s impressive. Still a lot of things to be proud of. This experience shows that next year I’m only hungrier and angrier. These tough defeats help me to come back much stronger.”

Her next stop was supposed to be the National Bank Open in Canada, but the 27-year-old has decided to sit that one out due to fatigue. She’ll next be seen at the Cincinnati Open, where she’s the defending champion. That tournament will set the stage for her US Open title defense.

Last year, the Belarusian lifted her first major in New York by beating Jessica Pegula in the final. This time, she heads into the hard court swing not just with a trophy to defend, but a point to prove. Can she defend her US Open title and end her drought?