Kim Clijsters praises Aryna Sabalenka’s rare coaching move after Indian Wells win

Clijsters highlighted Sabalenka’s decision to bring former doubles star Max Mirnyi into her coaching setup as a turning point.

“The fact they added Max Mirnyi and that chemistry is working — that’s huge,” she said on the Love All podcast.

She noted that such a structure is uncommon in the women’s game. “You don’t often see top players working with multiple coaches at the same time. It takes openness and the right mindset.”

Since Mirnyi joined last summer, Sabalenka’s results underline the impact: titles at the US Open, Brisbane International and Indian Wells, alongside a 33-4 win-loss record across that span.

Clijsters emphasised that success is not just down to Sabalenka’s talent, but also her willingness to evolve. “The best players keep improving their weaknesses — and she’s clearly doing that.”

Added variety making Sabalenka even harder to beat

According to Clijsters, Mirnyi has helped Sabalenka expand her game beyond raw power.

She pointed to improvements in variety, including greater use of slice, more comfort at the net, and smarter positioning on court.

“She’s not just a big hitter,” Clijsters explained. “She can defend, mix up her serve, and now she’s adding net play and variety — that makes her much tougher to beat.”

Clijsters also praised Sabalenka’s ability to respond quickly after setbacks, referencing her loss to Rybakina in the Australian Open final earlier this year.

“She used that frustration and turned it into something positive. To see that adjustment pay off so quickly is really impressive.”

With Mirnyi now part of a broader team that includes Anton Dubrov and Jason Stacy, Sabalenka has established herself as the benchmark on the WTA Tour.

As she heads into the Miami Open as defending champion, the question is whether her continued evolution will be enough to stay ahead of rivals like Rybakina — or if her dominance will only grow stronger.