Wimbledon 2026: Sabalenka Carries French Open ‘Deep, Dark Hole’ Into Grass Season

Sabalenka at Wimbledon

After back-to-back 6-0 final sets at Roland Garros and Berlin, Aryna Sabalenka arrives at Wimbledon under pressure. ITF coach Gustavo Granitto and Mary Joe Fernandez weigh in on her mental game.

Aryna Sabalenka faces fresh pressure at Wimbledon after another Grand Slam setback...

The world No. 1 arrives at with questions over her composure after yet another collapse. The Belarusian’s mental toughness will be under the microscope when the big moments arrive on the sport’s biggest stage.

The 28-year-old was just two points from reaching the semi-finals this month before she fell apart against Russian underdog . Afterwards she admitted she had slipped into a “deep, dark hole” mentally.

The defeat came 12 months after she finished runner-up at , when the title slipped from her grasp. It also put the focus back on her 2022 call to part ways with a psychologist, even though she’s since brought mental support back into her team.

“I called my psychologist ... it felt like I needed to ‌talk through everything I've been going through in the last, I don't know how many years,” Sabalenka told tennis website during her run to the semi-finals this month.

“It was really helpful. I changed a lot of things and I'm ‌trying a lot of new things now. I feel like I ⁠need to figure out what's happening, sometimes, in those ‌matches to (be able to) move on and to avoid these situations happening.”

Grass-Court Exam

Wimbledon brings a new challenge on grass, Sabalenka’s biggest weapon is still her raw power. But the faster surface speeds everything up, so her composure will be tested the moment pressure points hit.

Mind vs Machine

ITF coach said Sabalenka’s fierce competitiveness can cloud her shot selection. Chasing a Grand Slam at that level drains a lot of mental energy.

“Aryna is first and foremost a human being like the rest of us, but she’s also a competitive machine,” said Granitto, who’s certified in the used by some athletes.

“Perhaps her immense ambition to win, which is largely what makes her number one, combined with the intensity with which she 'lives' the match on court, can slightly distract her focus and judgment when ‌making decisions.”

“This can become a slippery slope at the highest level as pressure increases, because if errors start mounting, it's hard to put the horse back in the barn,” Greenwald added.

“It's not a regression but players do sometimes experience 'monkey on the back' syndrome if they can't secure a major for a long period, but that's not what's happened with her.

“She has had a great deal of success in the past few years to build on. Her turnaround was remarkable but again, when she focuses all of that intensity in a certain direction, she's likely to succeed.”

One Speed Only

Former pro and sports psychologist said Sabalenka’s high intensity and emotional wiring leave her with basically one mode.

Can Sabalenka Reset?

Sabalenka’s last two losses, at Roland Garros and Berlin, both finished with 6-0 final sets. That sharp fall-off has raised questions about how she responds when matches start slipping away.

1 - Since the WTA rankings were first published in 1975, Aryna Sabalenka is now the first World No. 1 to concede 6-0 deciding sets at multiple and consecutive WTA-level events. Stunned.#BTO26 | @berlin_tennis @WTA
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) June 20, 2026

“I'm a little concerned about Sabalenka,” ESPN commentator and former world No. 4 said.

“Her game translates to all surfaces. It should translate to grass with how powerful she hits the ball. She's got a weapon in the serve, weapon in the returns.

“What happened in Paris, she fell apart. The conditions got to her again ... she still ⁠struggles with it. Let's see how she bounces back.

“To ⁠me she's still the favourite to win ‌Wimbledon, but not as clear of a favourite as a month ago.”

Wimbledon 2026: Sabalenka Carries French Open ‘Deep, Dark Hole’ Into Grass Season