Aryna Sabalenka Reflects on the Two Biggest Lessons of her Roller Coaster 2025 Season

Aryna Sabalenka’s 2025 season has been a journey filled with both triumph and turmoil. The Belarusian held the World No. 1 ranking from the start of the year to the end, showing remarkable consistency. Yet, behind her success were moments of deep emotion and self-reflection, especially during the first half of the season.

Her campaign began with heartbreak at the Australian Open, where she lost the final to Madison Keys. In frustration, Sabalenka smashed her racket after the match, revealing the pressure she felt at the top. The disappointment continued at Roland Garros, where she was overcome with emotion during the trophy ceremony after falling to Coco Gauff. Sabalenka said in her post-match press conference:

Obviously, I made some tactical errors, mostly in fact. If you know me well, there was also a terrible emotional management; hence all the unforced errors I made. The main lesson I learned is that, no matter what happens, no matter how I feel or how frustrated I am inside, I still have to keep calm and try to think clearly, focus on the game plan to fight for the match. Regardless of what happens, you have to stay in control…That was my main lesson, keeping control. Later, this helped me win the US Open; I remembered those two matches a lot, there was no way I would let it happen again.

That loss in Paris became one of the most emotional moments of her career. Sabalenka admitted later that the defeats at the Australian Open and French Open taught her valuable lessons about handling pressure and maintaining composure. Despite the setbacks, she remained determined to turn her pain into progress.

Sabalenka’s perseverance finally paid off in New York. She closed her Grand Slam season by defending her US Open title, defeating Amanda Anisimova in the final. It was a fitting reward for a player who had faced so many emotional highs and lows, yet never stopped fighting to stay on top.

Aryna Sabalenka targets first WTA Finals

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka is set to prove her dominance as the world’s top player when she competes for her first WTA Finals title in Riyadh. The season-ending tournament begins on Saturday and runs until November 8, featuring all four Grand Slam champions of the year.