Aryna Sabalenka’s 2025 season didn’t start in the best way. The world No.1 looked set to win the Australian Open again earlier this year, but an outstanding performance from Madison Keys prevented her from lifting her third title in a row at Melbourne Park.
The Belarusian champion struggled a lot to digest that loss, because she was clearly favored in that final and did not know how to handle the pressure in the best way.
She returned to action about three weeks after that disappointment, but it was clear to everyone that the repercussions of the AO final were still present in her mind. It is no coincidence that Aryna was prematurely eliminated in two very prestigious tournaments such as Doha and Dubai.
Sabalenka is struggling
Sabalenka seemed very confused on court and her opponents took advantage of it to get valuable victories, considering that the tournaments in Doha and Dubai awarded a lot of points in the WTA rankings.
Fortunately for the Belarusian player, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff were unable to take advantage of Aryna’s premature eliminations by contending her to remain at the top of the WTA rankings despite this tough moment.
“I’m not so motivated and hungry on court right now” – confessed the world number 1 during her last press conference.
“I feel a bit confused and I have so many thoughts wandering through my head, which is why I can’t be brilliant on the court. The decisions I make are often wrong.
I’m not 100% emotionally right now,” he added.
Aryna will try to recover the best sensations in view of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, a very prestigious tournament in which she will be called upon to give signs of awakening.
The opponents have perceived the Belarusian’s current weakness and are at their best against her, as Clara Tauson recently demonstrated.
Sabalenka must find a way to prevent the AO final from haunt her for the rest of the season.
Tennis World USA