Aryna Sabalenka’s coach confirms what they’ve been doing in training after her struggles ahead of the US Open
Aryna Sabalenka hasn’t played anywhere near her best ahead of the US Open.
The two-time defending champion arrives in New York in poor form, having lost in the fourth round of her last three WTA events.
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Sabalenka’s coach, Anton Dubrov, has now shared what they have been doing in training ahead of the 2026 US Open.
Anton Dubrov insists they haven’t overhauled training despite Aryna Sabalenka’s recent struggles
During the latest episode of ‘Q&Andy‘, Andy Roddick asked Dubrov if the coaching team had changed Sabalenka’s training regime ahead of the US Open.
“I wouldn’t say we have made a lot of changes, to be honest,” said Dubrov.
“Especially right now, because we’re going to play mixed doubles, so you want to prepare to play doubles because we didn’t play for a while.
- US Open mixed doubles 1R – Aryna Sabalenka/Novak Djokovic lost to Katerina Siniakova/Henry Patten, 4-1, 2-4, 2-10
“But yes, the week before the Slam, usually, every day you play at least a set with another player and then, we’ll spend 60-90 minutes, sometimes two hours on the court with the hitting partners.
“We’re trying to keep the volume, the intensity, maybe a little higher, especially the week before a Slam.
“But, at the same time, I do like how she’s practicing right now, and what she’s doing on the court. I think, at the moment, I want her to be happy, and enjoy the process.
“Sometimes, it’s actually about taking a day off and spending less time on the court, or we mix it up a little bit with the warm-up to make it more fun or enjoyable.”
Dubrov also spoke about the issues Sabalenka has faced recently and how the team has helped her through this rough patch.
“I think we’re also kind of spoiled, with expectation; you kind of come to the tournament and you’re like, ‘Ok, we’re going to stay here, likely until the end’, and then, not from nowhere, but then you’re like, ‘Ok, we have to go, we have to practice. And then you find yourself, not in a depression, but you’re kind of lost; it’s awkward,” he said.
“But, at the same time, we always have this approach: first of all, we’re looking for the solution, and we’re looking for the greatest one. Let’s say in this situation, what Novak [Djokovic] or Serena [Williams], how they actually get through. And even, like Kobe [Bryant], what he was like approaching his career. There is no all the time success in your career.
Aryna Sabalenka’s 2026 record post-Sunshine Double (17-7)
| Tournament | Performance | Match wins | Defeat |
| Madrid Open | Quarter-final | 3 (Peyton Stearns, Jaqueline Cristian, Naomi Osaka) | Hailey Baptiste |
| Italian Open | Third round | 1 (Barbora Krejcikova) | Sorana Cirstea |
| French Open | Quarter-final | 4 (Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Elsa Jacquemot, Daria Kasatkina, Naomi Osaka) | Diana Shnaider |
| Berlin Open | Semi-final | 2 (Ekaterina Alexandrova, Nikola Bartunkova) | Jessica Pegula |
| Wimbledon | Fourth round | 3 (Teodora Kostovic, McCartney Kessler, Jelena Ostapenko) | Naomi Osaka |
| Canadian Open | Fourth round | 2 (Moyuka Uchijima, Zhang Shuai) | Ekaterina Alexandrova |
| Cincinnati Open | Fourth round | 2 (Talia Gibson, Wang Xinyu) | Sara Bejlek |
“There are going to be downs, but this is where you can grow the most.”
Dubrov believes Sabalenka could become a better player because of her recent struggles.
“So, if we can find the best solution, you’re going to be even stronger. You’ve been great, but with all the knowledge that we had, you kind of got to the limit, it looks like, so we have to upgrade,” he said.
“We actually have to search for the new step that’s going to help you be a better Aryna right now.
“With the US Open, a big stage, she didn’t win a Slam this year, so definitely, she expected a lot from herself. But right now we have to work day by day, build you match by match; we cannot expect you to play perfectly, and this is great; we can use this as a motivation to get better.
“Now you can prove to everyone who you are.”
Anton Dubrov identifies the biggest change Aryna Sabalenka has made since he became her coach
Dubrov was also asked to identify the biggest tactical change Sabalenka has made since he joined her team.
“Everyone’s been saying that she needs to be more patient and build morale, but I think the biggest tactical change that we made is showing her how not to wait, but how to build the point, using different angles, as we call it, like a Spanish style, so you can actually spin the ball, you don’t have to decelerate, you have to actually accelerate even faster,” he said.
“And because she likes to dominate and dictate, this was actually a good approach for her, because she was doing, not waiting.
“So I think with this, she is able to build the points much better, so it’s helped her stay in the rally longer, and her selection of shots is much better right now.”
He also noted another area of Sabalenka’s game that has improved since Max Mirnyi became a member of the team.
“When Max [Mirnyi] joined us, her slice and net game improved a lot, so she knows what to do,” said Dubrov.
Sabalenka will need to excel in all areas of her game if she is to win her third consecutive US Open title.
The 2026 US Open main draw begins on Sunday, August 30.
