Aryna Sabalenka’s biggest opponent is revealed again as Elena Rybakina wins WTA Finals
When Aryna Sabalenka looks to identify her biggest opponent in 2025, she merely needs to take a glance in the mirror.
The world No 1 has been the outstanding player in women’s tennis this year, but she has allowed her simmering emotions to get the better of her too often and that was the case again as Elena Rybakina won the WTA Finals.
Elena Rybakina extended her winning streak to an impressive 11 matches as she beat Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6 (0) to capture the WTA Finals title.
This was another brutal battle of big hitters, but Sabalenka allowed her frustrations to boil over as Rybakina took full advantage.
And when the Belarusian star reflects on the season that ended in the money-laden event in Riyadh, she will do so with too many regrets.
More Tennis News
Aryna Sabalenka reveals she could be helped by Novak Djokovic in ‘Battle of the Sexes’ clash
How did she lose the Australian Open final against Madison Keys? How did she allow an inconsistent Coco Gauff to get the better of her in the French Open final?
She will ponder how Mirra Andreeva beat her in the Indian Wells final and how she allowed her undefeated record at the Wuhan Open to slip as she lost a final set tie-break against Jessica Pegula.
While her opponents raised their game in all of those matches, Sabalenka has them all on the end of her racket and her failure to control her own game and emotions played a big role in the final outcomes.
Sabalenka is the best player in women’s tennis by some distance when she is playing a game that her rivals cannot match, with the power and aura she has on a tennis court too much for anyone when she is fully focused.
Yet a glaze of concern washes over her when the pressure of a tight match grips her and she admits that while she is very close to being the finished article as a tennis player, the mental side of her game can still improve.
“There was terrible control over my emotions,” she said. “I think the main lesson that I learned is that no matter what, doesn’t matter how I feel, how frustrated I am inside, I still have to try to stay calm and try to think clear, just try to focus on the plan that I have for the match. No matter what, stay in control.
“I think in these matches I just have to constantly remind myself how strong I am, and that I have to be the brave one. I have to go for my shots, I don’t have to stop my arms. I have to be confident in my shots, in my decisions, and just trust myself.
“It seems like in all of these three tough defeats in the Slams, for me, I wasn’t trusting myself. And every time that I remind myself ‘you have to trust’, ‘you can do literally anything on the court, every time I show my best tennis.”
It says much about the standards Sabalenka has set for herself that she will end this stellar year with some regrets over what might have been, but that is the story for all the great champions.
The ultimate winners don’t celebrate what they won, as that is merely what they expect to come their way.
Instead, they lament their losses and blame themselves for missing out on opportunities to build their legend.
At the age of 27, Sabalenka will not have time to match the achievements of greats of the game like Serena Williams or Steffi Graf, but she will head into 2026 dreaming of improving on a season that saw her come within touching distance of winning all four Grand Slam titles.
She will already be thinking about clinching the Australian Open title in January and if she achieves that, a player who thrives on confidence will believe she can join the ranks of the greats who have won all four Grand Slams by turning near misses into glory at the French Open and Wimbledon.
