World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka’s slump in form not ‘surprising’ says Alex Corretja, assessing the Belarusian’s performances
Former tennis professional Alex Corretja is not surprised by World No. 1 Sabalenka's slump in form.
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Alex Corretja and Aryna Sabalenka (Image via: Imago)
Spanish former tennis player Alex Corretja made some remarks as he assessed the current World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka‘s recent downgrade in form. After the Belarussian achieved her long-sought-after target of claiming the top spot on the WTA Rankings, her gameplay has seen a slump in form.
Sabalenka, who is the only player on the WTA circuit this season to reach the final four of all four Grand Slams, rose to become the No. 1 player following her finish as the runner-up at the US Open last month. Since her appearance at Flushing Meadows, Sabalenka has played at just one event, the China Open. Although she beat all her opponents in straight sets, when faced with the fifth seed, Elena Rybakina, Aryna incurred a loss in straight sets.
Speaking on behalf of Eurosport as a tennis expert, Coretja gave his reasoning for the Belarussian’s gameplay and why her performance might have degraded a bit. “I think you spend so much time thinking and dreaming and practicing and working to become No. 1 that probably once you achieve that, it’s normal to have a little bit of a down, a little bit of a relief, a little bit of time to understand what’s going on,” Corretja said.
“What people expect from you, also fans, and also yourself from you when you go on the tournaments?” he questioned as he further explained how the weight of being No. 1 takes a toll on the best of players. Sabalenka will next be seen at the WTA Finals, scheduled to be held starting at the end of this month. At the event marking the end of the season, Sabalenka will be battling former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek for the top spot.
Alex Corretja expresses his sympathy with World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka
Corretja, a former World No. 2 himself, spoke in favor of the Australian Open winner, Aryna Sabalenka, as he talked about her sudden downfall. The Spaniard explained that a player can be accused of playing badly when they suffer a loss in the first round.
He insisted that for a top player to incur a loss against someone who is very good is not a situation to be worried about. Giving a rationale, he insisted that for even the players placed at No. 1 in tennis, losing the quarterfinals against another excellent player like Rybakina should not surprise people. He further shed light on how being No. 1 in tennis does not equate to winning all matches against even the best of players.
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Eeshita Dev
(231 Articles Published)