US Open 2026 Singles Preview: Will Aryna Sabalenka Rediscover Her Mojo? How Will Carlos Alcaraz Fare on Comeback? - BBC Sport
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Sabalenka bids to rediscover form at intriguing US Open
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Aryna Sabalenka has won four Grand Slam singles titles, including two US Open victories in 2024 and 2025
By
Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport tennis news reporter
Published
7 minutes ago
All was bright in Aryna Sabalenka's world when she completed a rare 'Sunshine Double' earlier this season.
Becoming only the fifth woman to win the Indian Wells and Miami titles back-to-back, Sabalenka emphasised her position as the dominant player on the WTA Tour and created a 3,000-point lead at the top of the world rankings.
But a difficult period quickly followed—seemingly out of nowhere—
leaving the 28-year-old Belarusian clinging on to her position going into the US Open, which starts on Sunday.
Two-time defending champion Sabalenka returns to New York with a 17-7 win-loss record since the Miami triumph, including a chastening French Open quarter-final exit
and a disheartening defeat in the Wimbledon fourth round.
It is a record far below the four-time major winner's lofty standards.
With 2,000 points to defend at Flushing Meadows and Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina now trailing by only 434, Sabalenka must win again to extend her 99-week run as the world number one.
Asked if she felt confident she can rediscover her mojo on the hard courts on which she has thrived, Sabalenka said: “Absolutely. These tough lessons are definitely going to make me way, way stronger and working even harder.”
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