Aryna Sabalenka has opened up on her poor run of form after failing to reach the quarter-finals of her last three events. There are plenty of question marks surrounding the two-time defending US Open champion, who has yet to win a Major title in 2026.
The world No. 1 started the year on a high when she finished runner-up at the Australian Open and won back-to-back titles in Indian Wells and Miami. But she has since struggled to cement her dominance.
Struggles at the Slams
At Roland Garros, Sabalenka was bagelled by Diana Shnaider in a disappointing quarter-final defeat. She lost to Naomi Osaka in the fourth round of Wimbledon and failed to get beyond the last 16 of the recent WTA 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati.
The Belarusian's world No. 1 ranking is now under threat. She will only stay on top if she lifts the trophy this fortnight, and if Elena Rybakina loses before the semi-finals. And with lots on the line for the 28-year-old, she has now admitted: “I've been dealing with several things.”
Embracing the Challenges
Sabalenka is eyeing a hattrick in New York, but it’s now been five months since she last won a title. The top seed is still happy to embrace the challenges, though she didn’t want to elaborate on the tough times.
“Well, that's the beauty of a sport. Throw tough challenges at me, I will come back only stronger. It wasn't the best period. I don't want to defend myself, but obviously I just don't want to talk about that period. I've been dealing with several things,” the four-time Major champion said ahead of her title defence.
“But who cares, right? Yeah, I didn't perform my best. These tough lessons definitely going to make me way, way stronger and working even harder. I work on my mental side of the game. I was trying to reset my mind and to come back stronger, so it's only going to make me stronger. It's only a matter of time for me to come back.”
Blocking Out the Noise
Should Sabalenka win a third-consecutive US Open title, she would become just the third woman to achieve that feat after Chris Evert and Serena Williams. But she’s blocking out the external noise.
“Well, I will focus on myself. I'll try to do my very best, and we'll see what happens with the end of this tournament,” she added. And the questions surrounding what’s been “wrong” with Sabalenka haven’t knocked her confidence either.
“Maybe there's something wrong with people,” she grinned. “[I’m] always confident.”
