Aryna Sabalenka Promises New Additions to her Game in the 2026 Season

Aryna Sabalenka has been the standout best player of the 2025 season, finishing at the top of the world rankings for the second consecutive year. However, that doesn’t stop her from adding new things to her arsenal.

After winning against Madison Keys to progress in Brisbane, Sabalenka gave a few insights into the additions she is making to her game. The Belarusian gave strong emphasis on her net game in the 2026 season.

In this tournament, I’m trying to show things on the court that I’ve worked on during my preseason. For example, coming to the net more. I’ve worked on my serve, and it seems to be working a bit better. I want to bring to the court the things I’ve worked on in my training, in my preseason. That’s all. I want to rack up matches and wins to get back into rhythm and for those things to show.

Aryna Sabalenka said (H/T: Punto de Break)

Sabalenka is well-known for her power, possessing one of the strongest serves on the tour. It is almost identical to the prime days of Serena Williams. However, being a huge presence also has its fair share of cons, which are mainly associated with mobility.

However, Sabalenka is adamant that she has found the solution to that by working on her net game. The ability to finish points off quickly at the net will only help her while going deep in Grand Slams.

Aryna Sabalenka speaks on the importance of emotional control

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka is playing at the peak of her powers at the moment. However, there is one negative aspect of her 2025 season, which was her tendency to react negatively to losses. As she faced huge criticism for being a sour loser, the Belarusian has said that she’s working hard to control her emotions.

I’ve been working really hard for a long time to control my emotions. Before, in the past, if I missed an easy shot, I was capable of losing the match just because of how frustrated I was by that mistake. Now I try to move on, to think that everything is fine, that I’ll do better on the next point. That’s my mindset these days, and I think it’s been working for me for quite some time.

Aryna Sabalenka said

Sabalenka’s behavior after losses came under the microscope twice in 2025. First, it was after the Australian Open final, where she relinquished her Melbourne crown to Madison Keys. The top seed was seen smashing her racket right after the match.

Secondly, she really went overboard with her comments after losing the Roland Garros final to Coco Gauff. Sabalenka went as far as saying that if Iga Swiatek had played instead of her in the French Open final, she would have beaten the American.

This statement was quickly denied and condemned by Gauff, who called out the World No. 1 for being disrespectful to her achievement. Although the duo made peace with each other shortly after at Wimbledon, Sabalenka faced intense criticism for her comments.

Aryna Sabalenka avenges Australian Open final defeat to Madison Keys

Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka delivered a strong message ahead of the Australian Open by defeating Madison Keys in straight sets in Brisbane. The World No.1 earned a 6-3, 6-3 win in a rematch of last year’s Melbourne final, where she had previously been beaten. This time, Sabalenka looked in full control as she booked her place in the semi-finals.

Madison Keys entered the match after a demanding three-hour battle less than a day earlier and appeared physically hindered. She wore heavy strapping on her thigh and struggled to find her usual rhythm. Sabalenka capitalized with sharp returning and consistent pressure, forcing the American into an unusually high number of errors.

Sabalenka said the Brisbane event is helping her fine-tune her game ahead of the season’s first Grand Slam, which begins on January 18. She is chasing a third Australian Open title in four years and appears to be peaking at the right moment. Her confidence and shot selection reflected a player growing stronger with each match.

In the semifinals, Sabalenka will face Karolina Muchova, who overcame Elena Rybakina in a three-set contest. Muchova dominated the opening set, dropped the second, and then secured a crucial break in the decider to seal the victory. Despite Rybakina’s fightback, her high error count proved costly, and Muchova now brings a favorable recent record against Sabalenka into their upcoming clash.

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