Aryna Sabalenka has had one foot in the door of Grand Slam glory all season. But somehow, that door never quite opened. The year began in Melbourne, where she aimed to complete a rare Australian Open three-peat. Instead, she was knocked out by Madison Keys in the final. Then came Roland Garros, where she once again looked like a title contender, but Coco Gauff had other plans. And at Wimbledon, the heartbreak continued as Amanda Anisimova stunned her in the semifinals. The World No.1 has been left wondering what keeps going wrong. Serena Williams’ former coach might have an answer.
During her Roland Garros semifinal win, Aryna Sabalenka had outplayed Iga Świątek. But in the final against Gauff, things unraveled quickly. 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.
That 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.”
2025-07-02 The Championships Wimbledon 2025 LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 2: Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during Day Three of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 2, 2025 in London, United Kingdom. Photo by Marleen Fouchier/BSR Agency London United Kingdom Content not available for redistribution in The Netherlands directly or indirectly through any third parties. Copyright: xBSRxAgencyx
That pattern of emotional spirals showed up again at Wimbledon. 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 after her French Open final.
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.”
And despite missing out on all three majors so far this season, Aryna Sabalenka isn’t letting it define her year.
Aryna Sabalenka “proud” despite Grand Slam drought
The numbers tell a different story. Aryna Sabalenka has won 51 matches, claimed three titles, and leads the rankings by a massive 3,741 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?
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