When power meets poise Premium

Aryna Sabalenka has always had the potential to win a Major. But it was not until this year that she learnt how to harness it consistently over a fortnight

Before 2023, anybody who had watched Aryna Sabalenka at her best would have wondered why she had not made it past the semifinals of a Grand Slam singles event. She had the ‘big game’ — a powerful serve and a crushing forehand, a combination that her idols Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova possessed and one that lends itself to going all the way at a Major. 

But in 19 singles main-draw appearances between 2017 and 2022, Sabalenka did not progress past the fourth round on 16 occasions. The three times she did, she exited in the semifinals. In an era of women’s tennis where breaking through is a relatively common occurrence — there were as many as 15 first-time Grand Slam winners between 2015 and 2022 — Sabalenka’s struggles were all the more stark. 

So when the 24-year-old won her maiden Grand Slam in Australia this year, it felt like validation — not just for Sabalenka but also for her supporters and those who rated her game. It was also the culmination of an inspiring journey of self-discovery which had started at rock bottom.

Twelve months earlier, her serve was in pieces, leaving her in tears as her confidence was shredded under attacks of debilitating nerves. Reduced to serving underarm in a disastrous lead-up to Melbourne in 2022, she was suffering a severe case of the ‘yips’. Over the season, she dished out more than 400 double-faults! 

Imagine a point-ending weapon, a cannonball serve, malfunctioning when you most need it. It isn’t merely unnerving, it’s career-threatening. That was Sabalenka’s plight for a large part of 2022. But it was also a year in which her resilience stood out, for she began piecing her serve back together and fortifying her mental game, simply refusing to yield. 

Sabalenka has a tattoo of a tiger on her arm, which has earned her the nickname ‘The Tiger’, but it wasn’t until last year, she said, that she really started living its spirit.

“I became more of a fighter than I used to be,” she said. “Before it was just, like, a nice tattoo. [But last year] I was fighting with myself, which is a completely different fight, and I learned a lot about myself. The [2022] season started as the worst season, but in the end I think it was the best season for me because I became even stronger, and like mentally stronger.”