Aryna Sabalenka has been through it all during 2025 but remains the world’s number one player.
Sabalenka was praised by Billie Jean King for her ability to bounce back from adversity and her smile said it all at the US Open on Saturday night.
Tennis pundit Todd Woodbridge predicted how many majors Sabalenka will win after she claimed the fourth of her career, and she’s probably now close to her best.
This year, Sabalenka reached the final of the Australian Open before losing to Madison Keys and then lost to Coco Gauff in the French Open final.
Sabalenka was slammed for comments towards Gauff after that crushing defeat and now, the Belarusian player has shared what she’s learned from the final defeats.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesAryna Sabalenka makes admission about the French Open final
Sabalenka led by a set to love against Gauff but contrived to lose in three sets as Gauff claimed the second Grand Slam title of her career.
Gauff defended Sabalenka for her somewhat disrespectful comments at Roland Garros.
Now, after toasting US Open glory, Sabalenka has explained on the Welcome to the Party podcast what she did to bounce back after losing two Grand Slam finals in 2025.
She said: “I wanted it badly those two finals, I wanted to win them badly. I felt like during the tournament everything was coming together, and I thought in my head that I had this. I am going to go out there and get another trophy.
“I then went into the final, and it seemed to me that I did not expect them to fight back. I felt that the match was going to be easier, so I was not ready to fight, which is crazy to say. I was not ready for a fight. I was not ready for another player to bring the fight.
“I think that’s why I was losing myself, because I wanted it to be easier, and every time I would miss or the player would make a winner, I would just go completely crazy in my head, and that was the main mistake that I made.
“It took me two finals, and then I just took a little break. I needed to sit back to look at everything as a bigger picture and to finally learn the lesson.
“I am so happy that in this final, my behaviour was much better and I was in control.
Sabalenka can dominate in 2026
Although the WTA is in a healthy place, it’s fair to say that when Sabalenka shows up at a Grand Slam, she’s instantly the favourite to win it.
Sabalenka has picked out her favourite match of 2025 in recent days, and clearly, she’s enjoyed the year, reaching three finals and a semifinal at the four majors.
The scary thing for the rest of the tour is that Sabalenka is working on improvements to her game all of the time, and she’s not happy to grow complacent any time soon.
As the world number one, Sabalenka will want to chase down a first title at the WTA Finals, maintain her position at the top of the pile and then attack the Australian Open to collect another Grand Slam.