Aryna Sabalenka has spent years dominating women’s tennis with raw power and fearless shot-making. Lately, though, something has shifted. Cracks are showing at exactly the moments when champions are supposed to look their calmest.
A rough stretch this season has sparked fresh conversation inside the sport about what comes next for her. Former players and commentators are now openly weighing in on her surrounding team and support system. With the Australian Open looming large on the calendar, pressure is mounting fast for the Belarusian star.
A record-setting reign finally ends
Aryna Sabalenka spent 99 consecutive weeks as the world’s top-ranked women’s tennis player this season. That streak ended when Elena Rybakina overtook her for the WTA No. 1 ranking after the US Open.
Rybakina then beat Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to win the 2026 US Open women’s singles title. The result also ended Sabalenka’s bid to win the tournament for a 3rd straight year.
After the loss, Sabalenka showed clear frustration, including smashing her racket and reacting angrily near a courtside camera. The moment renewed discussion about how she handles pressure in the biggest matches.
Pundits sound the alarm together
Rennae Stubbs and Andrea Petkovic discussed Sabalenka’s situation on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast after the US Open. Both focused on whether Sabalenka may need changes around her team or mental approach before the next Grand Slam season.
Stubbs said Sabalenka has lost important matches because of her mentality and questioned whether a different voice could set firmer boundaries. She also raised the possibility of working with a psychologist if the same reactions continue.
Despite those concerns, Stubbs still said she thinks Sabalenka will probably win the Australian Open. Petkovic also said Sabalenka can win more majors, while taking a softer view on changing the team.
The case for a coaching shake-up
Coach Anton Dubrov has worked with Sabalenka for 6 years and has been part of a run that includes 4 Grand Slam singles titles. Stubbs praised Dubrov personally but questioned whether Sabalenka needs a firmer voice in pressure moments.
Stubbs suggested that a new coach could tell Sabalenka that certain on-court reactions are unacceptable. Her point was not that Dubrov has failed, but that Sabalenka may need someone willing to draw a harder line.
Stubbs also raised the possibility that Sabalenka may need a psychologist if the same reactions continue in big matches. That would fit a broader trend of elite athletes using mental performance support to handle pressure.
Petkovic offers a different approach
Petkovic offered a gentler take, suggesting Sabalenka could add fresh voices without removing Dubrov from her team. She said she did not think Sabalenka should get rid of Dubrov if she could avoid it.
That view reflects the idea that Sabalenka’s current team already knows her well, including her personality and routines. Still, an outside voice could bring a new perspective if her camp decides that extra support is needed.
Sabalenka is no stranger to Melbourne success. She won back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2023 and 2024 and has remained one of the tournament’s most prominent hard-court contenders.
The numbers behind her recent slump
Sabalenka has won only one of her last five Grand Slam finals, a genuinely striking drop-off. That single statistic fuels the growing argument that her biggest opponent right now is herself, not her rivals.
Her power and athleticism remain among the very best on the entire women’s tour right now, without question. The missing piece, according to several seasoned insiders, is composure once a match reaches its tightest moments.
Elena Rybakina has quietly built her own case as a genuine threat at every major event lately. Their rivalry now includes multiple Grand Slam finals, making it one of women’s tennis’s most compelling ongoing storylines.
Career earnings and record-breaking seasons
Off the court, Sabalenka has built major career earnings through tennis. Public prize-money trackers list her at more than $53 million in career prize money, placing her near the top of the women’s all-time earnings list.
During the 2025 season, Sabalenka recorded 63 tour-level match wins. The WTA also says she set a single-season prize-money record that year with $15,008,519.
Sabalenka’s wider team reportedly includes fitness coach Jason Stacy, hitting partner Andrei Vasilevski, and data scientist Shane Liyanage. Any changes to that support system would draw attention because of her long-standing success with Dubrov’s group.
Little-known fact: Sabalenka has said she was close to quitting tennis around age 9, but kept playing because she saw how proud it made her father.
Why Melbourne still feels like home
Stubbs remains confident about Melbourne, saying she thinks Sabalenka will probably win the Australian Open. Sabalenka has reached the Australian Open final in 4 straight years, winning the title in 2023 and 2024.
Her last 2 Australian Open finals ended in defeat, first to Madison Keys in 2025 and then to Elena Rybakina in 2026. Even so, her recent record in Melbourne remains one of the strongest at any major.
The WTA season is still active. The Asian Swing begins on September 21 and continues into early November, before the season-ending WTA Finals take place in Indian Wells from November 8-15.
What comes next for Sabalenka
Sabalenka’s next major test will likely come well before Melbourne even begins in January. Preseason exhibitions and early hard-court events next year could reveal whether real, meaningful changes are actually happening inside her camp.
Fans and analysts alike will be studying her body language closely during every single early-season match. Calm reactions under pressure would suggest real growth, while more outbursts would only fuel this ongoing coaching debate.
Whatever she ultimately decides, the tennis world will be watching closely for early signs of real change. A strong start to next season could quiet her loudest critics faster than any single interview ever could.
TL;DR
- Sabalenka’s 99-week run at WTA No. 1 ended when Elena Rybakina overtook her after the US Open.
- Rybakina beat Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the 2026 US Open final.
- Rennae Stubbs and Andrea Petkovic discussed whether Sabalenka should adjust her support team.
- Stubbs said she thinks Sabalenka will probably win the Australian Open.
- Petkovic said Sabalenka may add people but should not remove Anton Dubrov if she can avoid it.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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