Aryna Sabalenka hits back at critics over form and off-court lifestyle ahead of US Open

New York: Aryna Sabalenka has appeared to be having fun everywhere except the tennis court of late.

Her Instagram profile is packed with photographs featuring fashionable outfits in scenic locations, or relaxing poolside in a bikini. Life appears seamless.

On the court, however, her form has dipped to its lowest point in recent memory.

The world's top-ranked female player has failed to progress past the fourth round in her last few events, looking far from ready to become the first woman to claim three consecutive US Open crowns since Serena Williams between 2012 and 2014.

Yet Sabalenka remains untroubled and steadfast.

Addressing those questioning her current form, she remarked: “Maybe there's something wrong with people.”

To critics of the black mesh-covered kit she is sporting in New York, she offered a direct response: “Who cares about people, right? All matters for me is that I love it.”

Sabalenka appeared set for an outstanding campaign earlier in the year. Although she fell to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final, she rebounded with consecutive hard-court titles at Indian Wells and Miami. Even following a fourth-round exit against Naomi Osaka at Wimbledon, expectations remained high that she would quickly regain her footing on the North American hard courts that suit her powerful style.

Instead, she suffered a surprise fourth-round defeat against Ekaterina Alexandrova in Toronto before squandering leads in both sets during an early exit to Sara Bejlek in Cincinnati, showing signs of on-court frustration reminiscent of her earlier career.

While reluctant to detail specific issues, she hinted that external factors played a role.

“It wasn't the best period. I don't want to defend myself, but obviously I just don't want to talk about that period. I've been dealing with several things,” Sabalenka said.

“But who cares, right? Yeah, I didn't perform my best. These tough lessons are definitely going to make me way, way stronger and working even harder. I work on my mental side of the game. I was trying to reset my mind and to come back stronger, so it's only going to make me stronger. It's only a matter of time for me to come back.”

A resurgence in New York would come as little surprise, given her victory in 2024 against Jessica Pegula and her successful title defence last year against Amanda Anisimova.

Reaching the summit of women's tennis has brought significant off-court perks for the 28-year-old Belarusian, including major sponsorship deals, photo shoots, and Greek holidays alongside her fiancé.

However, sharing those moments on social media has invited criticism regarding her commitment to the sport.

“She's still No. 1 in the world. So I think the results are there,” noted tour friend Paula Badosa, who frequently features in her posts.

“Of course, everyone is going to expect for her to win every tournament. That's very, very difficult. And at the moment, that one player is not winning what they expected. Of course, they're saying that it's because of the photo shoots or the TikToks and all this stuff, and I'm not going to lie, she's been doing that since she was maybe out of the top 100. And when she was winning, nobody says anything, you know? And when she loses a couple of matches, it's because of that. I think it's none of it.”

Her top ranking remains under threat following her summer dip, making a deep run in New York vital as rivals like Rybakina and Pegula close the gap.

Nevertheless, Sabalenka has bounced back before and shows no sign of backing down.

“Well, that's the beauty of the sport,” she said. “Throw tough challenges at me, I will come back only stronger.”

AP