Aryna Sabalenka has confessed that she’s currently struggling to find the same competitive drive during her matches, a sentiment she shared after her surprising defeat to world No. 38 Clara Tauson at the WTA 1000 in Dubai.
Although Sabalenka seemed to regain her usual form in her first-round victory over Veronika Kudermetova, she was unable to maintain that level, ultimately suffering a 6-3, 6-2 loss to the Danish player in the next round. This defeat came on the heels of another disappointing early exit at the Qatar Open, where she was beaten by Ekaterina Alexandrova, and the emotional loss to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final.
Reflecting on her current struggles, the Belarusian world No. 1 admitted, “I believe that I’m not that hungry on court.” She continued, explaining her lack of consistency: “I’m kind of all over the place in my thoughts and not consistent on the court. The decisions I’m making on the court are a bit wrong and emotionally, I’m not at my best.”
Sabalenka also touched on her persistent difficulties in the Middle East, noting that for the past few years, she’s failed to find success in the region. “I’d say that for the last couple of years, I’m not doing well in the Middle East. I believe we need to change something in the preparation,” she said, acknowledging her struggles in Dubai both in 2024 and again this year, particularly after falling ill before the 2025 edition of the tournament.
“I believe every time I don’t feel well playing here. Even health-wise, I’m struggling. Australia always takes a lot of energy out of me,” Sabalenka explained. Looking ahead, the world No. 1 emphasized the importance of reevaluating her preparation for the Middle Eastern swing, stating that she and her team would need to brainstorm strategies for improvement.
Sabalenka is next scheduled to compete at the prestigious BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, which will take place from March 2 to March 16.
On the other side of the net, Tauson was overjoyed by her unexpected victory. Reflecting on the chaotic 24 hours leading up to her win, she said, “I’ve had some crazy 24 hours after yesterday. I think I slept maybe five hours last night. We went to sleep at 3:30am and I didn’t know what shape I was going to come out here in. But a pretty good one it seems.”
The Danish player, who had previously battled hard in a 7-6(5), 6-4 loss to Sabalenka in the Australian Open, felt she had a solid chance of upsetting the world No. 1 in this encounter. “I was playing some great tennis, and I felt like, after the match at the Australian Open, I really felt like I had a chance,” she said.
Tauson recognized the importance of seizing her opportunities, noting, “It was about taking my chances today, and I did—though I could have taken even more.” Reflecting on their previous encounters, she felt her game had improved. “Now that we’ve played twice, I feel like my pace may be even higher than hers—though she’s obviously more consistent than I am! We play very similar games. I like the way she plays and the way the ball comes off the racquet. It’s heavier, obviously, but I felt like I had a good read on it today, especially her second serve, which I had a lot of trouble with in Australia.”
Tauson will now look to continue her impressive run in Dubai as she faces Linda Noskova in the quarter-finals of the WTA 1000 event.