The Belarusian is also gearing up for a potential match with an ATP<\/a> player, with Sabalenka set to play Nick Kyrgios<\/a> in a new \u2018Battle of the Sexes\u2019 match.<\/p>\n Kyrgios has been one of the best servers<\/a> over the years, but Sabalenka<\/a> has now named two other big ATP servers who she has recently experienced returning against.<\/p>\n In a video for Whistle Sports, Sabalenka was asked to name the five players whose serves she found it hardest to return.<\/p>\n Sabalenka responded by revealing that she has recently tried to return the serve of Ben Shelton<\/a>, who has a highest official recorded speed of 150 mph (241.4 km\/h).<\/p>\n Shelton is not the only ATP player whose serve Sabalenka has struggled to return, as she has also tried against the currently injured Grigor Dimitrov<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sabalenka completed the list by naming Elena Rybakina<\/a>, before jokingly suggesting her coach, Anton Dubrov.<\/p>\n She then added Coco Gauff, who has really struggled on serve<\/a> recently and actually added Sabalenka\u2019s former biomechanical coach to her team before the US Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI just tried to return Shelton\u2019s serve. Oh my gosh, I don\u2019t know how guys deal with his serve,\u201d said Sabalenka. \u201cIt\u2019s another level.<\/p>\n \u201cI tried to return Dimitrov\u2019s serve and it was pretty tough. His rhythm is amazing so it was untouchable. Rybakina is a pretty big server and it is always tough to play against her on her serve.<\/p>\n \u201cProbably my coach because he\u2019s so bad, the time and the placement is so wrong it can be really tough to return. Coco also can be really tough to return her serve.\u201d<\/p>\n How does Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s return compare to her WTA Tour rivals?<\/p>\n Although Sabalenka is the US Open champion and world number one, the return of serve has been a shot that has not been her biggest strength on her rise to the top of the WTA<\/a> rankings.<\/p>\n This is evident in the statistics from 2025, with Gauff<\/a> the clear best returner from the top 10 in the WTA rankings.<\/p>\n Sabalenka does find herself third on percentage of return points won, but is further down the list on percentage of return games won and break point conversion.<\/p>\n WTA Top 10Return Points Won % Return Games Won %Break Points Conversion %1. Aryna Sabalenka45.9% (3rd)39.5% (5th)47.3% (6th)2. Iga Swiatek47.6% (2nd)45% (2nd)51.8% (3rd)3. Coco Gauff48.8% (1st)45.9% (1st)55% (1st)4. Amanda Anisimova45.4% (6th)39% (6th)44.4% (8th)5. Mirra Andreeva45.9% (3rd)40.9% (3rd)52.1% (2nd)6. Madison Keys44.3% (9th)35.4% (9th)42.9% (9th)7. Jessica Pegula44.9% (7th)38.2% (8th)44.9% (7th)8. Jasmine Paolini45.6% (5th)40.6% (4th)48.3% (4th)9. Qinwen Zheng44.5% (8th)38.4% (7th)47.8% (5th)10. Elena Rybakina43% (10th)32.5% (10th)42.2% (10th)<\/p>\n Despite Sabalenka praising Rybakina\u2019s serve, it seems as though her return needs some work as she is 10th in all the various categories.<\/p>\n It will be interesting to see if the world number one has done any work on her return during her time away from the tour, which will now be extended after Sabalenka withdrew from the China Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Ben](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2179970905-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Marcio Machado\/Eurasia Sport Images\/Getty ImagesAryna Sabalenka explains what it was like to return Ben Shelton and Grigor Dimitrov\u2019s serves<\/p>\n