Sabalenka has just won her second US Open title and overall her fourth Grand Slam.
Archive of posts tagged Aryna Sabalenka
Roaring Return: Sabalenka Edges Pegula for Third Straight US Open Final
Aryna Sabalenka battled into her third straight US Open final.
Cincinnati: Emma Raducanu routinely wins, now set for difficult Aryna Sabalenka test
Emma Raducanu handled the business in her opening match with coach Francisco Roig after ousting Olga Danilovic 6-3 6-2, and she plays Aryna Sabalenka in the Cincinnati third round.
The 30th-seeded Briton, who had a first-round bye at the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, lost her serve twice in the first set but broke the 40th-ranked Serb three times to still take the opener. The second was more straightforward for the 2021 US Open champion, who claimed two breaks to seal a straight-set victory.
Next up for Raducanu will be a third career meeting versus top seed Sabalenka, who defeated 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-5 6-1. Last year, the current world No. 1 beat the Briton 6-3 7-5 in Indian Wells. A month ago, they met for the second time, and the Belarusian tennis star also registered a 7-6 (6) 6-4 win.
How Raducanu reacted to her performance versus Danilovic and what she can expect versus Sabalenka?
Following her opening Cincinnati win, the 2021 US Open champion acknowledged that it wasn't an ideal performance. However, the 22-year-old was still pretty happy with her display.
“Bar the first game today, that was not very much fit, but other than that, I was pretty mature and disciplined in my performance. I took care of my service games really well. And I knew that playing Olga, who's really difficult and really dangerous as a lefty and with big strikes, it was going to be important," the world No. 33 said after her opening win.
Against Sabalenka, Raducanu has yet to win a set. However, the British tennis player managed to cause some problems to the Belarusian during their Wimbledon match – especially in the first set – when she didn't convert some chances. Also, it is worth mentioning that the world No. 1 is only now playing her first tournament since Wimbledon, while the Briton is already playing her third tournament on hard this summer.
It remains to be seen if Raducanu can pull off an upset and beat Sabalenka for the first time in Cincinnati.
Emma Raducanu makes it crystal clear what she wants from Rafael Nadal's ex-coach
Emma Raducanu sounds ecstatic over adding Francisco Roig to her team and highlights the main thing she wants from Rafael Nadal's former coach is to help her improve her game to the level where she can legitimately challenge the very best in the game.
Ahead of Cincinnati, the 2021 US Open champion made a major announcement, revealing that Nadal's former coach of 17 years agreed to work with her.
So far this year, there hasn't been much stability in Raducanu's coaching staff. After Nick Cavaday left the team in late January, the 22-year-old was assisted by some LTA coaches, before having an unsuccessful two-week stint with Vladimir Platenik in March. Ultimately, the British tennis player hired Mark Petchey – but since he has his own commentary commitments – he wasn't a full-time presence in the box until the grass season.
But now, Raducanu's tumultuous 2025 coaching situation may have come to an end with the Roig appointment.
Raducanu: Roig has got a bank of experience… I want the quality of my shots to be better
“It’s going really well, it’s my second day here with him here, but I did a few days in London before I came out here. He’s obviously got a bank of experience and I’m very excited to continue working with him and to have him on my side," the Briton said.
So far in her career, Raducanu has collected three wins against top-10 players. This year, the 22-year-old played against Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Zheng Qinwen, and lost all of those meetings. Her lone top-10 win of the year came against Emma Navarro in Miami. And that's one aspect that she wants to fix.
“I’m working on the quality of my shots to be better. I think against the very top that’s what it needs, it needs to improve. So I’m hoping that with time – I’m pretty patient, I’m going to try and be pretty patient – that it’ll improve," Raducanu underlined.
In the Cincinnati first round, Raducanu will play against a qualifier.
Aryna Sabalenka gets candid in her YT vlog: 'So annoying… Feel like such a loser'
Aryna Sabalenka may have gone to Greece to try to relax after Wimbledon but admitted in a new vlog that she felt like "a loser" and that she couldn't fully enjoy her time in Mykonos because she still had thought about what happened at The Championships.
This year, Sabalenka appeared to be primed to finally make her Wimbledon breakthrough. But she was hit with a cold shower after Amanda Anisimova upset her in the semifinal. For the 27-year-old Belarusian, it was her third consecutive loss in the last-four stage at The All England Club.
In her post-match presser, Sabalenka didn't hide her disappointment but she also remarked that she was going to Mykonos, where she would be hard on alcohol and sweets. Now, ahead of her return to action in North America, the 27-year-old shed light on how she felt during the vacation.
Sabalenka: I'm going to be on the beach thinking, 'I am such a loser'
"I think it’s important to go and have fun and enjoy life. But it’s so f—— annoying about being an athlete, honestly. All your life depends on your result. You win and you are the happiest person that you can be. You just enjoy, life feels so good. But when you lose it’s just tough to enjoy. I am going to be there on the beach thinking it’s so beautiful, but I lost. I am such a loser. I hate myself. It’s like you are constantly living your life in these ups and downs," the 27-year-old said.
On paper, Sabalenka has had a great year at Grand Slams as she has been consistently delivering. But the world No. 1 still remains without her fourth Grand Slam title. At the start of the year, the Belarusian fell short to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final. A couple of months later, she also lost to Coco Gauff in the French Open title match.
Sabalenka will hope to at least defend her US Open title and make some amends.
Aryna Sabalenka, Citing Fatigue, Pulls out of Montreal
The World No.1 is choosing rest at the moment.
-(1).aspx "Amanda Anisimova")
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday July 16, 2025
Aryna Sabalenka will take a little more time before she starts her North American hard court season. The American announced that she’ll skip the National Bank Open in Montreal, citing fatigue.
She joins Paula Badosa [injury] on the sidelines, which means that Caty McNally and Moyuka Uchijima will enter the main draw.
“I’m looking forward to kicking off the North American hard-court swing, but to give myself the best chance for success this season, I’ve decided it’s in my best interest to skip Montreal,” a statement from Sabalenka read.
Two players have withdrawn from the 2025 National Bank Open: Aryna Sabalenka, due to fatigue, and Paula Badosa, due to an injury.
Following these changes, Caty McNally and Moyuka Uchijima will now enter the main draw. pic.twitter.com/nVPHvjVthu
— Omnium Banque Nationale (@OBNmontreal) July 16, 2025
No.1-ranked Sabalenka recently lost in the semifinals at Wimbledon, falling to Amanda Anisimova, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. The three-time major champion is 47-9 on the season with three titles, but has yet tot win a major.
The National Bank Open will move to a 12-day tournament this year, taking place from July 25 to August 6, with main draw play commencing on the 27th.
Wimbledon | Anisimova upsets Sabalenka to reach final
Amanda Anisimova, the 13th seed, produced the biggest upset of The Championships, taking out the World No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, to reach her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon on Thursday, stunning the Belarusian, 6-4 4-6 6-4, in 31C temperatures on the Centre Court.
The post Wimbledon | Anisimova upsets Sabalenka to reach final appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.
Wimbledon | Preview – Whose year is this? Sabalenka, Gauff, Pegula or dark horse Swiatek?
The draw for the Ladies Singles Championships was made on Friday, including direct entries, wild-cards and qualifiers, all 128 of them, who now know who they must face to advance from Monday onwards, if they are to stay in the running to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish on Saturday 12 July.
The post Wimbledon | Preview – Whose year is this? Sabalenka, Gauff, Pegula or dark horse Swiatek? appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.
Sabalenka on RG Reaction: Completely Unprofessional
"I absolutely regret what I said back then," Aryna Sabalenka said of her controversial comments after losing the Roland Garros final.
By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Photo credit: Julien DeRosa-AFP-Getty
Reality has induced regret in Aryna Sabalenka.
World No. 1 Sabalenka calls her behavior after her Roland Garros final loss to Coco Gauff "completely unprofessional" and shared she wrote a letter to the two-time Grand Slam champion apologizing for her behavior.
The US Open champion said while we all have bad days at work "the difference with me is…I get a lot more hate for what I did."
"I absolutely regret what I said back then," Sabalenka told Eurosport Germany. "You know, we all make mistakes. I’m just a human being who’s still learning in life. "I think we all have those days when we lose control.
"The difference with me is, the world is watching. I get a lot more hate for what I did than other people."
In the first French Open final between the world’s top two women in 12 years, No. 2 Gauff was simply too tough for No. 1 Sabalenka at crunch time.
A resilient Coco Gauff combated Sabalenka’s fierce power with pure poise pulling off a 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 comeback to capture her maiden Roland Garros championship in a thriller.
Afterward, the world’s best player called it her worst final.
“It was really honestly the worst tennis I've played in the last, I don't know, in the last I don't know how many month,” Sabalenka told the media in Paris afterward. “Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me.
"I think it was the worst final I ever played.”
Sabalenka, who struggled to cope with whipping winds and an unrelenting Gauff's comprehensive court coverage, took criticism afterward for what some felt were ungracious and classless comments.
The top-seeded Sabalenka committed 70 unforced errors. Sabalenka said at times she felt the tennis universe was playing a cosmic joke on her with Gauff’s running retrievals turning her damaging drives into punch lines.
“I mean, honestly sometimes it felt like she was hitting the ball from the frame,” Sabalenka said. “Somehow magically the ball lands in the court, and you kind of, like, on the back foot.
“It felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was just staying there laughing, like, let's see if you can handle this. And I couldn't today.”
Reflecting on her comments, Sabalenka said she was upset after a physically and emotionally draining defeat and spoke out of frustration.
Since then, Sabalenka said she has apologized to Gauff.
"I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference," Sabalenka added. "It took me a while to revisit it, to approach it with open eyes, and to understand. I realized a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals? I kept getting so emotional.
"So I learned a lot. Above all, one thing: I’m the one who always treats my opponents with great respect - whether I win or lose.
"Without that respect, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So it was a tough but very instructive lesson for me."
Paris | Sabalenka dethrones Swiatek to reach first French Open final
The women’s semi-finals at the French Open pitched the 4-times champion Iga Swiatek against the World No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, and what promised to be a blockbuster thriller turned into a third set rout by the top seed, who made it through to her first Roland Garros final, 7-6(1) 4-6 6-0, dethroning the defending champion.
The post Paris | Sabalenka dethrones Swiatek to reach first French Open final appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.
Aryna Sabalenka: Quit Your Job
World No. 1 sends clear message to former coaches.
By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, May 30, 2025
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Tennis is an ongoing educational experience.
Today, Aryna Sabalenka schooled her skeptical teachers.
World No. 1 Sabalenka tamed tricky lefty Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3 powering into the Roland Garros fourth round for the third straight year.
Three-time major champion Sabalenka, who improved to a Tour-best 37-6 in 2025, will face former French Open semifinalist Amanda Anisimova in a blockbuster fourth-round battle between two massive hitters.
Today, Sabalenka sent major message to coaches who slammed her as too “stupid” to make her mark as a pro: Quit your job.
Recalling junior coaches who questioned her mental strength, Sabalenka told those skeptics: You know nothing.
“I always been quite motivated and they didn’t have to push me,” Sabalenka said of her rise through the ranks. “But I have heard a lot [of coaches] saying I’m not smart enough, that I’m stupid, and I’ll never make it, and I don’t have anything to make it to the top.
“I guess I want to send a quick message to them to quit their job.
“Because honestly, I think they know nothing and they better quit just to save other players.”
Asked how she reacted to critical coaches claiming she was too witless to be a winner on the WTA Tour, Sabalenka said she laughed in their face.
“I was just laughing and saying: We’ll see,” Sabalenka said.
A sharp Sabalenka has surrendered just 10 games in three tournament wins this week.
Following her crushing conquest of Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 6-0 in her Roland Garros opener, Sabalenka shared her parents were never pushy about her career pursuit. However, the Belarusian said she saw demanding Eastern European coaches burn young players out.
“I definitely say that Eastern European school is very tough. I think that’s why whoever survive that school, they’re really tough,” Sabalenka said after round one.
On the one hand, Sabalenka said surviving her junior training made her a tougher competitor, but on the other hand she saw some fellow players broken by “brutal” coaches making punishing demands.
“I have to say that probably because of the environment and in the history of European countries, we are much tougher,” Sabalenka told the media in Paris. “Whoever got through the tough stuff, they, like, mentally and physically, they much stronger than probably, not like the rest of the world, but most of the girls on tour…
“I definitely think that the environment we have in our countries, which is like very tough and coaches are very brutal, you know, there is nothing nice about the way they, like, work with their players, they quite rude. I think that’s why maybe our mentality is much stronger, but also, the same time, they kind of like broke so many players because of that aggressive mindset.
“I think in Europe and the States, the environment is much healthier.”
Continuing her quest for a maiden Roland Garros crown, Sabalenka said she’s inspired by Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic still going strong at age 38 and was moved seeing the Big 4 reunite for Roland Garros’ royal celebration send off for King of Clay Rafael Nadal.
“Imagine if he gonna retire tomorrow, then everyone going to be sad, no? Don’t you think so?” Sabalanka said. “Then there is another like 10, 15 years to Jannik and Alcaraz to become one of the greatest. But just, you know, let him be.
“You know, it was so sad to see the ceremony, big four were on the court and you understand that three of them retired. Everyone missing their games.
“So let’s just let Novak to be there to show and fight and show his greatness and to inspire that generation.”