The positive for Aryna Sabalenka is that she is getting better at losing. The negative for the sport’s dominant No 1 is obviously implied – and the defeats in grand slam finals aren’t getting any easier, either.
“It’s tennis: today you are a loser, tomorrow you are a winner,” Sabalenka reasoned. As Elena Rybakina overturned Sabalenka’s third-set lead, battling from 3-0 down in the decider to win the next five games and serve for the Australian Open title, the Belarusian’s latest defeat in a grand slam final continued a pattern.
Sabalenka’s consistency in reaching grand slam finals is undeniable. Four in a row at the Australian Open and three in a row at the US Open, making it seven consecutive finals at the hard-court slams, is a generational achievement. Only two other players in the Open era, Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis, can match it.
But her mixed record once getting there is unavoidable. In her eight grand slam final appearances, Sabalenka has four defeats to her four wins. Since rising to No 1 in the world, this glaring vulnerability has also become more pronounced, losing three of her last four and now two in a row at the Australian Open following last year’s collapse against Madison Keys.
A year ago, Sabalenka stormed off the court and smashed up her racket after losing to Keys in the deciding set. In June, at the French Open, Sabalenka’s defeat to Coco Gauff was marred by her comments in the post-match press conference room. Sabalenka vowed there would be no repeat on her return to the Melbourne final, but another third set slipped from her grasp.
“She made some winners. I made couple of unforced errors,” said Sabalenka. A forehand into the net from mid-court, to hand the second break, was key. “Of course, I have regrets. When you lead 3-0, and then it felt like in few seconds it was 3-4 and I was down with a break. So it was very fast. Great tennis from her. Maybe not so smart for me, but as I say, today I’m a loser, maybe tomorrow I’m a winner.
”Overall, it was much better than last year, the two finals I lost. Level-wise and the decisions I was making and the way that the mentality was throughout the whole match. I was still there, I was ready to fight, I knew that she was not going to give it easily to me. So I think, overall, I made a huge improvement on that, and I still lost it. But it’s okay. I feel like I’m moving towards the right direction.”
Another striking difference from last year was in how Sabalenka praised Rybakina. “I did my best and today she was a better player,” Sabalenka said. Perhaps humility and acceptance is easier to find when there is a clear match-up problem, as Rybakina won her second match in a row against Sabalenka to back up her victory against the No 1 at last season’s WTA Finals.
As competitors, there is clear respect between Sabalenka and Rybakina. Since they met in the Australian Open final three years ago, the Russian-born Kazakh has finally reemerged as a force. Using the WTA Finals as a springboard, the former Wimbledon champion has won 20 of her last 21 tour-level matches and 10 in a row against top-10 players. Three-and-a-half years since her triumph on Centre Court, she returns as a grand slam champion.
Rybakina’s celebration on championship point was typically understated, the 26-year-old remaining an enigma who combines her destructive game with such a cool demeanour. After a fast start to the final and a deserved opening set, she looked out of it when Sabalenka broke ahead in the decider. In her box, coach Stefano Vukov demanded more energy. Rybakina replied with her biggest hitting and serving.
She is one of the few players who can take the racket out of Sabalenka’s hand. “I think that definitely she has more confidence, and she goes for her shots without any doubt,” Sabalenka said. “I still had opportunities, but the level [from her] was incredible. I feel like she just plays more aggressive. She was able to build great confidence starting from the finals. Definitely a better player.”
After Rybakina’s previous appearance in the Australian Open final three years ago, frustrating spells of illness and injury followed. A year ago, Vukov missed the Australian Open as he was serving a suspension from the WTA Tour, amid an investigation into his behaviour and conduct. Vukov, who denied any wrongdoing, appealed against his suspension and his ban from the tour was lifted in August. Rybakina also spoke up in his defence.
A year on, Vukov received a trophy during the on-court ceremony, with the Australian Open awarding an additional prize to the champion’s coach. Since the Croatian has returned to Rybakina’s team, she has won more matches than any other player on the WTA. “I think it’s a win for all the team, all the people who support me,” Rybakina said. “I just hope that I can carry this moment throughout the whole season and keep on improving.”
