Former British No.1 Says Aryna Sabalenka Will Develop Mental Scars from her Grand Slam Final Defeats
Aryna Sabalenka fell to Elena Rybakina in the final of the Australian Open women's singles.
Follow Us
Aryna Sabalenka (Image via Fox Sports)
🔍 Explore this post with:
Aryna Sabalenka has lost three of the last five Grand Slam finals on tour. She currently has four major titles and if she had won the three Slams, she would have taken her tally to seven Grand Slams. The Belarusian star will certainly been feeling disappointed about her missed chances in the past twelve months.
Sabalenka had enjoyed a stellar 2024 season, in which, she won two Grand Slams and finished the year as World No.1. Coming into the following year, she had hopes of winning more major titles and even completing her career Grand Slams. But at the Australian Open last year, she fell to Madison Keys in the final in three sets.
The 27-year-old then fought hard to win her first natural court Slam at Roland Garros, but she ultimately fell to American No.1 Coco Gauff. However, she regained herself at the US Open, winning her only Slam of the 2025 season after beating two-time major finalist Amanda Anisimova in straight sets in New York.
On Saturday (January 31), she was the favorite to beat Elena Rybakina, who had not reached a major final since 2023. Sabalenka also held an 8-6 lead over the 26-year-old in their head-to-head record. But surprisingly, Rybakina pulled off a remarkable victory 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to win her second career Slam.
Sabalenka was heavily disappointed in herself, having led 3-0 (40-15) in the third set of her match against Rybakina. During a conversation on the Off Court Greg podcast, former British No.1 Greg Rusedski revealed that Sabalenka’s losses in Grand Slam finals will make her more nervous when she reaches another major championship:
When you keep coming this close and keep coming up short, it means she has a problem and it can be in your mind in big moments. You should have won down under in Australia. You should have won in Paris. You didn’t. You got tight. You got nervous. You couldn’t put the hammer down and, and players see that. So they know if they’re down a break in the final set, or even if she’s serving for the match, you’re still in there with a chance.
Sabalenka spoke about containing her emotions at the US Open as one of her major setbacks in losing to major finals last year. Perhaps, she failed to contain herself at the Australian Open final, which led to her loss against Rybakina. However, she will learn from the loss in Melbourne and return to the court stronger.
Greg Rusedski hopes Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka will meet more often in Grand Slams
Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina’s rivalry has become one of the most scintillating high-level rivalries in the women’s circuit. Both players have faced each other fifteen times on the court, and their rivalry goes all the way back to 2019. Currently, Sabalenka holds a slim lead over Rybakina in their head-to-head record, 8-6 on tour.
However, they are likely to meet many times this season. Rybakina has won their last three meetings, which will make Sabalenka eager to earn revenge in their next meeting. During the aforementioned conversation, Greg Rusedski admitted that he would have to see Rybakina and Sabalenka meet more often in Grand Slam finals:
I look at he serve with Sabalenka and Rybakina and it I think I’d favour Elena. The forehands are both massive, but with the backhand, I go with Rybakina. She also had that little bit more belief to push through and she was my pick before the Australian Open started to have a good tun. I actually picked her to win Wimbledon this year as grass is a good surface for her.
Rybakina and Sabalenka have faced off in just two Grand Slam finals on tour. Both came at the Australian Open and ended in three sets, with Rybakina winning in 2026 and Sabalenka in 2023. Meanwhile, Rybakina has won three of her last five tournaments and has greatly improved in the past six months.
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)