Jimmy Connors Warns Aryna Sabalenka of ‘Distractions’ Amid Slump in Form: “She Has Other Stuff on Her Mind”

Aryna Sabalenka is gearing up for the Wuhan Open, the main draw of which starts on October 12. Sabalenka, a champion here in 2018, 2019, and 2024, lost in the semifinals last year.

The Belarusian ace, after months of lopsided performances by her own standards, finally showed signs of return when she reached the final of the US Open, only to lose in three sets to Elena Rybakina. Because of her trophy-less campaigns in the middle of the season, Sabalenka ended up losing significant ranking points, as a consequence of which she lost her No.1 ranking to Rybakina.

Since clinching her third title of the season by beating Coco Gauff in Miami in March and also completing the rare Sunshine Double, Sabalenka has not yet added another title to her trophy cabinet. So why is a formidable player like Sabalenka suffering?

Many in the tennis world believe she has a mentality problem right now. Former ATP No.1 Jimmy Connors thinks Sabalenka is dealing with distractions. During his Advantage Connors podcast, the eight-time Grand Slam singles champion said:

She has other stuff on her mind. It’s hard to do (juggle stuff). I like her game. She flat out thumps the ball. I’ve watched her play when she wins, and I’ve watched her play when she loses. Sometimes going for the lines becomes a three or four inches to the wrong side. And you can’t explain why that happens, but outside influences are a bad influence.

Apart from the Sunshine Double, Sabalenka won the Brisbane International and lost the Australian Open final to Rybakina. Before arriving in Wuhan, Sabalenka played at the China Open, where she suffered a shock third-round defeat at the hands of Nikola Bartunkova.

Even when you practice, and you’re working on your game, and you’re trying to improve and trying to say, ‘I can win this tournament’, that distraction sometimes creeps in. And sometimes that’s hard to fight against. She’s going to have to regroup. I like her. She’s going to have to get back into it and realize what makes everything else possible really in her life, you know, around tennis. 

Jimmy Connors added

In her opening round match in Wuhan, Sabalenka will face Ann Li or Camila Osorio, who replaced Qinwen Zheng after the Chinese ace withdrew following her successful run at the China Open. The 2024 Paris Olympics champion beat reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva in the final, en route to which she also celebrated her 24th birthday. Sabalenka could face fellow former World No.1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.

Rennae Stubbs thinks she knows what’s wrong with Aryna Sabalenka

During the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Serena Williams‘ coach Rennae Stubbs said Aryna Sabalenka‘s confidence is “so low” at present, and she is showing a “different sort of anger” on the court. One thing Stubbs observed about Sabalenka’s game is that she doesn’t have a plan B, unlike her rival Coco Gauff.

And she has no game plan B. The difference with Coco is she could be hitting 20 double faults, not making a forehand, and she will try and find a way and play ugly. I mean, she’s the epitome of Brad Gilbert’s book, Winning Ugly. And so she will try and figure out a way to win even if her game A isn’t there. She’ll go to game plan C, D, E, F if she needs to. But Sabalenka doesn’t have game plan B at all.

Gauff, the reigning champion in Wuhan, withdrew from the tournament due to fatigue. The decision came following an “insane” amount of racist abuse she received due to the hindrance call during her third-round match against Sun Xinran at the China Open.

Elena Rybakina has also pulled out due to a foot injury. In Beijing, she lost to Alina Charaeva in the opening round.

Also read: Iga Swiatek Rates Her Chances of Qualifying for WTA Finals After China Open Upset