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This year, Sabalenka began her quest to become the first woman since 1999 to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, but she lost to the brilliant Madison Keys. She then let her emotions run high on and off the court in her loss at Roland Garros to Gauff.
“You lose the final of the biggest tournament and you don’t think clearly,” she said.
“I had to sit down and think about everything, and make sure people understood my point – that I was completely wrong.
“It was a hard lesson but it helped me in so many different ways.”
Sabalenka battled her emotions at Wimbledon, most impressively against home favorite Emma Raducano in the third round. “Maybe earlier in my career, I would have gone crazy and lost that group,” she said afterward.
“I told myself: Don’t waste your energy, keep everything that’s left inside you.”
After a semi-final loss in which Sabalenka felt she was not as “brave” as her opponent Amanda Anisimova, she opted for a holiday. There, Sabalenka reflected on why she let her emotions “get the better of me in those two finals.”
She made a decision – during her defense of her US Open title, she would decide her fate, not her emotions.
Sabalenka worked her way through the draw and found herself facing Anisimova in the final, with the American aiming to overcome a tough loss in the Wimbledon final. Given the pressure Sabalenka already felt to ensure she did not end the year without a major, it was a major test of her mental strength.
It was arguably Sabalenka’s most mature performance of the season. Even the overhead wasted while serving for the title was greeted with a wry smile. Sabalenka was broken in that match but pulled off a dominant tiebreak for the win.
“I knew that [because of] “With the hard work we put in, I deserved to win the Grand Slam title this season,” Sabalenka added.
“Getting this trophy means I’ve learned a lesson. I’ve become a better player, I have better control over my emotions, and I’m very happy.”
There is still a lot of work to do, as shown by missing out on the WTA Finals. But Sabalenka was able to overcome the loss quickly, which is a positive sign for her after a difficult year.
“After a little while, I feel really good. The bad thing is this season [is] “I lost most of the grand finals I participated in,” she added.
“So I think I’ll sit in the Maldives and have a tequila and I think it’s been really good so far.
“I just need to improve on myself a little bit, and hopefully I can improve next season.”
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