Sabalenka’s four Grand Slam singles titles—two Australian Open victories and two US Open triumphs, all on hard courts—are an achievement most players can only dream of. However, the Belarusian has also lost four major finals and six semi-finals, underlining a level of consistency on tennis’s biggest stages that is unrivalled among her peers.
In recent months, the main concern has been Sabalenka’s mental focus in less pressurised situations. That weakness was exposed again at the Cincinnati Open, where she suffered a fourth-round defeat by 20-year-old Czech player Sara Bejlek.
Sabalenka led 5-1 in the first-set tie-break and 4-1 in the second set, but struggled to maintain composure during the rallies as Bejlek fought back to win 7-6 (9-7) 6-4.
Sabalenka searching for greater mental consistency
At her previous tournament in Toronto, Sabalenka lost to Russian world number 19 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16 after her serve collapsed.
Her difficulties also emerged during the clay-court season. Sabalenka surrendered the opening set before losing to Hailey Baptiste in Madrid, Sorana Cirstea in Rome and, most notably, Diana Shnaider at Roland Garros.
“I work on my mental side of the game. I’ve been trying to reset my mind and to come back stronger,” a bullish Sabalenka said in New York.
“It’s only a matter of time for me to come back.”