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Annual report Aryna Sabalenka 2022: No titles, good finish - satisfactory

Aryna Sabalenka ended the 2022 tennis year fifth in the WTA world rankings. That's fine. Disappointing for the Belarusian though: she hasn't won a single title this season.

by Jens Huiber
last edit: Dec 21, 2022, 08:18 am

Aryna Sabalenka should win titles again in 2023
© Getty Images
Aryna Sabalenka should win titles again in 2023

There weren't that many players in the 2022 season who were able to celebrate a win against Iga Swiatek. Especially not when the stakes were high. Just like at the WTA Finals in Fort Worth. There, however, Aryna Sabalenka didn't give the industry leader even the slightest chance in the third set of the semi-finals. And also took revenge for the semi-final defeat at the US Open, where Sabalenka actually had the better cards against Swiatek.

But that is something like the story of the now 24-year-old from Minsk: In the end, there was always something missing in the past twelve months. Just like in Fort Worth, where Sabalenka lost the final against Caroline Garcia. This was one of three finals that Aryna Sabalenka was able to reach in 2022. She lost in two sets to Swiatek in Stuttgart at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, as did Ekaterina Alexandrova in 's-Hertogenbosch on grass.

Sabalenka reached three finals

In Wimbledon Sabalenka was not allowed to play for known reasons, in Roland Garros she went down after winning the first set against Camila Giorgi 1: 6 and 0: 6. And at the beginning of the year in the round of 16 of the Australian Open against Kaia Kanepi in the round of 16 in a very tight match.

What does that mean for the coming season? Well: Aryna Sabalenka can still shoot any opponent off the court. Also Iga Swiatek. But also herself. All in all, the separation from coach Dmitry Tursunov didn't do her any good, the game system would still tolerate a fair amount of variation. On the other hand: If the tournament goes well for her, Aryna Sabalenka can be expected to triumph in a Grand Slam tournament. If she can win some of the matches she narrowly lost in 2022 in the future. And if she occasionally throws in a slice (not just in self-defense!) or a stop.

But the overall grade for 2022: satisfactory.

by Jens Huiber

Wednesday
Dec 21, 2022, 12:20 pm
last edit: Dec 21, 2022, 08:18 am