Aryna Sabalenka warned she broke tennis ‘rule’ that cost her Australian Open final

Aryna Sabalenka has once again struggled on the sport’s biggest stage, falling short in Saturday’s Australian Open final against Elena Rybakina.

Rybakina came out on top 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and has been backed to overtake Sabalenka for the top spot in the world rankings this year.

Sabalenka’s record in Grand Slam finals continues to draw attention following her latest result.

The Belarusian has now lost three of her last four major finals, a run that stretches back to the 2025 Australian Open when she was beaten by Madison Keys.

Patrick Mouratoglou says Aryna Sabalenka broke key ‘discipline’ rule in Australian Open final loss Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Speaking on Instagram, Mouratoglou suggested that Sabalenka struggled throughout the match, highlighting missed opportunities to take advantage of Rybakina’s issues with her first serve.

Rybakina landed just 55 per cent of her first serves compared to 62 per cent for Sabalenka. In terms of points won on first serve, Rybakina managed 75 per cent while Sabalenka slightly edged her at 76 per cent.

“Rybakina is 100 per cent back to where she belongs. She’s one of the best players in the world, she should be top three,” Mouratoglou said.

“But Rybakina didn’t play a good match.

“Sabalenka, when you watch the match, you really feel she can win it. Even she should win it. Rybakina didn’t serve well and serve is by far her number one asset.

“Her percentage of first serve is very low especially in the first set. She wins the first set, which is crazy when you think about it because every time she hit a second serve she was in huge danger. And if Sabalenka was aggressive on second, she would win the immense majority of the second serves.”

Mouratoglou also pointed to mental lapses as a key factor in Sabalenka’s defeat, echoing past concerns about her performances under pressure in Grand Slam finals.

“So the question is: Sabalenka, how did you lose that match? The only explanation is: the mental, and the consequences of the mental.

“I think she was hurt straight away because Rybakina played really well in the first game, and after after one game she showed incredible signs of frustration! Then if you look at the number of points won by both players and if you look at the stats, they’re close in everything.

“So it was all about the big points. 24 pressure points won by Rybakina and only 15 by Sabalenka.

“So what’s the solution? Because now it’s three because now it’s three Grand Slams out of four finals that Sabalenka loses.

“The only answer is: discipline, and I felt that both players were not disciplined. They were doing things that were producing winning points most of the time, and at some moments they would do something completely different.”

During the final set against Rybakina, Sabalenka also made a decision that was unbelievable to Mouratoglou.

“Sabalenka was inside the court to return the second serve of Rybakina. She hit backhand down the line – winner every time.

“On the break point in the third after hitting backhands down the line so many times winner, suddenly she decides to go cross-court. Why?” he questioned.

“There is a rule that is bigger than any predictability rule: when a tactic works in tennis, you don’t change it. You change it if the opponent starts to find a solution to this one. So it’s all about discipline and to me I think that’s the lesson of this match.”

Aryna Sabalenka under scrutiny after Elena Rybakina defeat Highlights familiar issues

Sabalenka is one of the most talented players on tour, and when she is playing well, there are not many who can stop her.

But for all her strengths, she has developed a habit of coming up short when it matters most. That pattern showed up again in Saturday’s final against Rybakina.

Leading 3-0 in the final set, Sabalenka then lost five consecutive games and ultimately the match. It was another example of how closing out big matches continues to be a challenge for her.

If the Belarusian wants to hold onto her position at the top of the rankings, this is an area she will need to address. Without changes, questions about her ability to deliver in key moments will not go away.

Aryna Sabalenka warned she broke tennis ‘rule’ that cost her Australian Open final

Tags: