September 10, 2023: “You guys could’ve supported like this during the match,” said a dejected Aryna Sabalenka to the crowd cheering for her after her US Open Final defeat to Coco Gauff (2-6, 6-3, 6-2). As the Belarusian stood on the podium laughing through tears, she understood a major opportunity was missed—an unbeaten record at hard-court majors for the reigning Australian Open champion. While Sabalenka showed immense poise during the Trophy Presentation ceremony, the anger spilled over as the 26-year-old made her way to the locker room…
Calmly entering the room, she plopped her bag on the floor, retrieved her racquet, and smashed it multiple times before dumping it in the trash can. Reflecting on the outburst a year later, Sabalenka said on September 6, “I had really tough lessons here [Arthur Ashe Stadium] in the past. I think I had so many opportunities here, but I didn’t use it for different reasons. I wasn’t ready, then I got emotional, then I just couldn’t handle the crowd.” For the unversed, the former world No. 1 hasn’t had a very smooth relationship with the US Open, which might explain her frustration.
In the 2021 US Open, Sabalenka lost to then 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 in semi-finals, before meeting the same fate the next year—a semi-final loss lost to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek (3-6, 6-1, 6-4).
However, this time, she looked different: A calmer, composed version of the old Aryna. But what’s the secret behind this change in attitude? It’s certainly worked since as the World No. 2 finally clinched her maiden Flushing Meadows win defeating Jessica Pegula 7-5. 7-5. “I improved so many things which give me more confidence that I can win the match no matter what. Probably this is what gives me that belief and that calmness on the court that, okay, no matter what, I’ll be able to fight and I’ll be able to find my way in this match,” Sabalenka revealed during the China US Open press conference on September 30.
The player, who’s already hopped on to the Round of 16 after defeating Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew (6-4, 6-1) and US’ Ashlyn Krueger (6-2, 6-2), said, “But also, I mean, in the past I had a lot of difficult things to face. After you face certain things, you realize it’s just a sport. Okay, if you’re not going to win this match, what happens? Nobody going to die. You’re not going to die. It’s okay. You’re going to go in another tournament and you’re going to try your best in the next one.”
After reaching the SF of the 2021 Wimbledon, Sabalenka admitted that after every Slam, she used to get very disappointed with herself. Frustration used to creep in whenever she failed to handle the pressure. “I was struggling at Grand Slams with all the emotions. For every Slam, I was so disappointed about myself that I can’t handle this pressure.“
From losing confidence to building confidence through her hard work on and off the court, the player has come a long way. The first instance of her showcasing her confidence was seen during one of her interviews in December 2023. During a conversation about her goals for the 2024 season, Sabalenka revealed that she was going to try her best to win a few more major titles in the 2024 season. However, there was something else that she said that caught everyone’s attention, “You can beat me. But I’m going to prepare every match and have huge chances to win.”
That’s what a championship mentality entails if you ask anybody! And cut to 2024, and Sabalenka has already won three titles—including two Grand Slams (Australian Open, US Open). She looked more confident this year, and her fearless approach definitely helped her achieve these glories. “Nowadays I’m just, you know, working hard, I’m trying to improve myself every day. Every time I’m on the court, I’m trying to give my best. If you give your best, you didn’t win the match, okay. You learn and you try better next time,” she stated during the press conference.
What does Sabalenka’s coach, Anton Dubrov, say about this mind-boggling change in her attitude, though?
Anton Dubrov recalls those “wild stress” moments in the initial phases of Aryna Sabalenka’s career
After winning the 2024 AO, Aryna Sabalenka stated that her clinical performances were a testament to the hard work of her whole team. They worked incredibly hard to improve the mental and tactical aspects of her game. They desperately wanted to fix Sabalenka’s game and finally, they found the secret formula. We’ve seen Sabalenka’s coaching staff engage in several fun activities during the Tour to keep a light-hearted environment inside the locker room. So, a lot changed behind the scenes, and the transition didn’t happen all of a sudden.
While comparing today’s Sabalenka with the one he saw earlier, Dubrov stated, “At the early stage of her career, she went into wild stress and began not to play to her strengths and physicality, but to rush, play hyper-aggressively, behave loudly – and thus simply losing control.” However, according to the coach, Sabalenka now uses her stress as an advantage.
“Now she has learned to better direct stress where she can control it, to add pressure on her opponent. This process was long,” said Dubrov. He even talked about Novak Djokovic’s incredible ability to turn the negativities in his favor in high-pressure situations and mentioned that Sabalenka was “striving” to incorporate that into her game, even though she is far from reaching Djokovic’s level in that aspect.