Aryna Sabalenka is once again the toast of the tennis world after sitting in the winner’s circle again at the US Open.
When Sabalenka won the US Open 12 months ago, she won’t have anticipated waiting another year to win another Grand Slam title.
Madison Keys stunned her in the final of the Australian Open before Coco Gauff praised Sabalenka after beating her at the French Open.
The Belarusian lost to Amanda Anisimova in the semifinal at Wimbledon and had to wait until Flushing Meadows to once again get her hands on the title.
Right now, Sabalenka is the world number one and a four-time Grand Slam winner, but things haven’t always been this easy for the 27-year-old.
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty ImagesAryna Sabalenka nearly quit tennis
Talking to the Jay Shetty Podcast, Sabalenka has made an intriguing claim just days from her biggest triumph of the year.
Sabalenka had kind words for Anisimova after beating her at the US Open and suggested she knew how she felt to lose another Grand Slam final.
The world number one has now admitted that she almost walked away from tennis three years ago, with one aspect of her game proving really difficult to master.
She said: There was a moment in my career, three years ago, when I was double-faulting and I could not serve. I don’t know what happened to me. I could not serve.
“It would not work, and I was still playing. I actually ended the year in the top 10 somehow, without the serve.
“But I was really close to just quitting. I was like I don’t know how to fix it. We tried everything. We tried psychology, going through repetitions, practising, everything. And I was like, okay, I am about to quit.
“Then we hired the biomechanics guy, and he helped me to understand some details, and it was the moment for me to stay strong and go through it. To never give up. I did not quit and, after that, I was able to win my first Grand Slam, and that moment was crazy emotional.”
Where Sabalenka ranks when it comes to serving in 2025
These days, Sabalenka is a top-six player when it comes to serving on the WTA Tour.
Clearly, it’s an element of her game that needed some work, and in 2025, it’s been a pretty useful tool in her locker.
Sabalenka has served up 268 aces from 66 matches on the tour, with 141 double faults coming from her racket, too.
PlayerAcesDouble FaultsElena Rybakina378176Clara Taulson313189Linda Noskova312229Naomi Osaka269103Exaterina Alexandrova266222Aryna Sabalenka242141
When you’re winning matches, nothing else really matters, and if Sabalenka has any doubts in the future, she can merely look at her haul of titles.
However, it’s clear that the player will be leaving no stone unturned in a quest for greatness and tennis domination over the next few years.