ABU DHABI: From seriously struggling with her serve at the start of last year to becoming a Grand Slam champion in Melbourne last month, Aryna Sabalenka’s remarkable journey has earned her praise from across the tennis community.
The 24-year-old Belarusian led the WTA tour in double faults in 2022, with a whopping 428 in 55 matches, but still managed to end the season in the top five.
She started working with biomechanics and performance coach Gavin MacMillan in August 2022 to try and overcome her serving woes and it paid dividends as she has kicked off 2023 with a perfect 11-0 record and two titles — Adelaide and the Australian Open.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who lost to Sabalenka in the Australian Open final, noted the significant progress her opponent has made on her serve and expects her to continue to be a real threat on tour.