Aryna Sabalenka’s form has taken a worrying dip ahead of the US Open, with Serena Williams’ former coach Rick Macci believing the world No.1 is struggling with confidence and that her opponents are beginning to sense they can beat her.
The Belarusian made a sensational start to 2026, winning Indian Wells and the Miami Open to complete the Sunshine Double. But since lifting the Miami title, Sabalenka has failed to reach another final, with a string of disappointing results raising questions about her consistency and mental strength.
“Sabalenka is playing different than in the past. She is farther behind the baseline. She is on the back foot more. She is bailing out of the crosscourt lasers sooner than normal. Mentally her confidence has been tested and as a result the unreal belief we saw before is out the door,” Macci wrote on X.
“She has always been emotional but could regroup in 20 seconds. She can flip the switch but the ripple now is other players see she is hitting long and into the net and they feel they can pull the upset,” he added.
SABALENKA’S STRUGGLES SINCE SUNSHINE DOUBLE
Sabalenka’s results since Miami underline Macci’s assessment. In Madrid, she suffered a quarter-final defeat to Hailey Baptiste after letting slip six match points. She then crashed out in the third round in Rome, losing to Sorana Cirstea in a three-set battle.
The biggest collapse came at Roland Garros. Sabalenka was in complete control against Diana Shnaider in the quarter-finals, leading 6-3, 4-1 and holding a 30-0 advantage on serve at 4-1. However, she could not close out the contest and eventually lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-0.
Her Wimbledon campaign also ended earlier than expected as Naomi Osaka defeated her in the fourth round. Sabalenka then reached the semi-finals in Berlin, only to suffer another heavy defeat against Jessica Pegula.
The latest setback came at the Canadian Open in Toronto. After wins over Moyuka Uchijima and Zhang Shuai, Sabalenka was beaten by Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 in the fourth round. The loss came despite Sabalenka fighting back after dropping the opening set.
Most concerningly, Sabalenka has yet to win a Grand Slam in 2026. She was runner-up at the Australian Open, reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros and bowed out in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
For a player whose game has traditionally been built around overwhelming power, aggression and an ability to recover quickly from setbacks, the recent pattern is significant. With the US Open approaching, Sabalenka will need to rediscover that belief — before her rivals’ belief against her grows even stronger.
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