Aryna Sabalenka heads into the US Open at one of the most unsteady periods in her career, after a difficult time during the clay and grass court swing.
The world No 1 has not won a title since she won the Miami Open in March and she has suffered a myriad of high-profile early exits on the WTA Tour this year.
As a result, Sabalenka arrives at the tournament needing to win the US Open in order to keep hold of her status as the top ranked player on the WTA Tour, with Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, and Coco Gauff breathing down her neck.
However, Johanna Konta has dismissed Sabalenka’s chances of winning the US Open this year after watching her make mistake after mistake throughout the season.
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Speaking to TNT Sports, the former British number one said: “I don’t think Sabalenka’s winning it [the US Open]. It’s because players in the draw believe a bit more right now against here. So when Sabalenka has those lapses, which she does every match.
“I don’t think she’ll be able to get away from them,” continued Konta. “I think what she created for herself was this cushion of being able to have those lapses because I don’t think players were prepared necessarily on the other side of the net.
“I don’t think players believed in those times that they could find a way, so I think she really created a strong image around herself of being relatively unbeatable in certain situations. I think that has really come down a notch since Miami. For me, I don’t think she’s winning [the US Open].”
Sabalenka has been beaten before the quarter final stage in her last three tournaments, at the Cincinnati Open, the Canadian Open, and Wimbledon.
The world No 1 started the season spectacularly too, which makes her recent run of form even more bemusing.
The star reached the final of the Australian Open, losing to Elena Rybakina, but followed it up by winning the Sunshine Double of Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
Since, her results of floundered and she will need to play out of her skin in order to keep her world No 1 status.
Sabalenka will be defending the full 2000 ranking points after winning the US Open last season, which means she needs to match it to fend off her rivals.
However, the Belarusian has tended to play her best tennis at the US Open in previous years, which could be a silver lining for the star.
She won the tournament in 2024 and 2025 and reached the final in 2023, losing to Gauff.
