Three titles and a Sunshine Double would usually make for a successful season. Aryna Sabalenka, however, has found little reason to celebrate in recent weeks. The Belarusian has suffered a series of frustrating defeats, including a painful loss to Ann Li at the Wuhan Open after letting a promising position slip away.
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With the WTA Finals approaching, Sabalenka will be looking to end her season on a high. However, former ATP pro Greg Rusedski believes the four-time Grand Slam champion may need a different approach to rediscover her best form, suggesting that an extended break from tennis could do her good.
“Well, sometimes you need a reset and a little bit of time away from the game,” said Rusedski on the ‘Off Court with Greg Rusedski’ podcast. “So I think for her it’ll be interesting to see how the top eight in the world and how she performs there. And then get away, get a break.
“Don’t even start up until possibly the Australian Open like Novak Djokovic does or a lot of the big names. They take an extended period away from the game so when they’re ready to go, their preparation is perfect and they’re ready to hit the road for the rest of the season. So sometimes putting in a little bit more breaks if you can and getting away from the game is not a negative thing, but sometimes a very positive thing to do.”
Sabalenka’s latest defeat came against Li at the Wuhan Open earlier this week, where she let a one-set lead slip away. Despite falling 1-4 behind in the deciding set, the Belarusian fought back and saved nine match points before eventually losing in a third-set tiebreak. She also appeared to be dealing with a physical issue, sporting black tape on her knee and taking a medical timeout during the final set.
The loss was reminiscent of some of Sabalenka’s other defeats this season. At the French Open, for instance, she failed to close out her quarterfinal against Diana Shnaider despite leading by a set and 4-1 in the second.
Rusedski’s advice to take a break might be what helps Sabalenka get back to her all-conquering form of the last two seasons. The longest break that the four-time Major champion had this season was a little over a month, when she decided to skip the Middle East swing, which saw her not play the mandatory events in Qatar and Dubai. While her decision courted serious backlash from the tournament director in Dubai, the payoff was big for Sabalenka, who was refreshed after the break, and won the titles at Indian Wells and Miami.
Should Sabalenka heed Rusedski’s advice, the Belarusian will get a break of more than two months given that the Australian Open starts on January 17 next year, and the WTA Finals will end on November 15. However, Sabalenka has played the Brisbane warm-up event for the last three seasons, winning the title in the last two editions.
An early title in the season is good for confidence, especially since World No. 1 Elena Rybakina was just confirmed at the event, giving Sabalenka a potential opportunity to test out her closest rival early in the season.
It’s not been a terrible season for Sabalenka by any means. She’s had a 47-11 record and reached the finals of both the Australian Open and the US Open. But Rybakina proved to be her Kryptonite, beating her in both finals. Overall, Sabalenka hasn’t quite been at the level expected of a four-time Grand Slam champion, and perhaps that’s been weighing on her mind, too.
Throughout the season, Sabalenka’s on-court frustrations have been caught on camera, whether it was her reaction toward a ball kid during her match against Sara Bejlek in Cincinnati or a ball-abuse warning early in her US Open final against Rybakina.
“I no longer have expectations,” she said after the defeat. “Basically, I don’t care. I’m just going to come, fight, and enjoy every challenge that comes my way. This summer, I had high expectations… and my body stopped me. Then there were small things that didn’t go my way, and that really led me to disappointment.”
Sabalenka had to withdraw from the Stuttgart Open in April due to an undisclosed injury. A month later, she struggled with lower-back and hip pain during her third-round match against Sorana Cîrstea at the Italian Open. The injury affected her movement and serve, forcing her to exit the tournament earlier than she had in 15 months.
Her French Open and Wimbledon campaigns proved disappointing as well. Sabalenka lost to 25th-seeded Russian Shnaider in three sets in the French Open quarterfinals before falling to Japanese Naomi Osaka in straight sets in the Wimbledon round of 16.
It won’t be easy to shake off these painful defeats and refocus for the final stretch of the season before turning her attention to 2027. But Sabalenka still has a chance to show what she can do against the world’s best at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells. After that, perhaps a long, well-deserved break could be just what she needs.
Aryna Sabalenka Will Look to End Strong at the WTA Finals
Even though she has lost to lower-ranked opponents this year, Sabalenka will be keen to play with the top players in the world at the WTA Finals. Ending strong at the event will be crucial for the Belarusian, for whom last year’s event was a turning point, as she lost the final to Rybakina, who used her form to start strong this year, beating Sabalenka in the Australian Open final.
Not to mention, Indian Wells will be the venue for the WTA Finals this year, somewhere Sabalenka has had good memories recently, having won the WTA 1000 title there this year. What’s more, the Belarusian beat Rybakina in the Indian Wells final this year, saving match points to win the title.
Getting the No. 1 ranking back from Rybakina won’t be easy, but it’s still possible. Rybakina’s withdrawal from Wuhan and mixed results during the Asian swing have given Sabalenka a chance to close the gap.
She currently trails the Kazakh by 2,146 points, but Rybakina will lose the 1,500 points she earned by winning last year’s WTA Finals before this year’s tournament begins. With 1,500 points available to an undefeated champion, Sabalenka still has a chance to reclaim the top spot with a strong run in Indian Wells.