RismadarVoice Reporters, August 30, 2026
Aryna Sabalenka heads into the US Open seeking to rediscover the dominant form that made her the leading figure in women’s tennis earlier this season, after a difficult run of results placed her world number one ranking under pressure.
The Belarusian star enjoyed a remarkable start to the year, completing the rare “Sunshine Double” by winning back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Miami. The achievement made her only the fifth woman in history to claim both tournaments in the same season and gave her a 3,000-point advantage at the top of the WTA rankings.
However, Sabalenka’s form declined sharply after that success. Since her Miami triumph, the four-time Grand Slam champion has recorded a 17-7 win-loss record, including disappointing exits at the French Open quarter-finals and Wimbledon’s fourth round.
The 28-year-old now returns to New York as the two-time defending US Open champion, but faces pressure to protect the 2,000 ranking points she earned from last year’s victory.
Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina is closing in on the top spot, sitting just 434 points behind Sabalenka.
The Belarusian must make another deep run at Flushing Meadows to extend her 99-week reign as world number one.
“Absolutely. These tough lessons are definitely going to make me way, way stronger and work even harder,” Sabalenka said as she expressed confidence about returning to form.
Despite recent struggles, Sabalenka remains one of the most successful players on hard courts. Her four Grand Slam singles titles — two Australian Open victories and two US Open triumphs — have all come on the surface.
However, concerns have emerged over her mental strength during crucial moments. At the Cincinnati Open, Sabalenka surrendered a 5-1 lead in the first-set tie-break and a 4-1 advantage in the second set before losing to 20-year-old Czech player Sara Bejlek.
Her struggles were also visible during the clay-court season, where she lost matches after taking early control against players including Hailey Baptiste, Sorana Cirstea and Diana Shnaider at Roland Garros.
Sabalenka said she has been working on her mental approach and remains confident that she can return stronger.
“I work on my mental side of the game. I’ve been trying to reset my mind and to come back stronger. It’s only a matter of time for me to come back,” she said.
