Rennae Stubbs is voicing some concerns about Aryna Sabalenka's "inconsistency" as the former five-time Grand Slam champion in doubles fears the world No. 1 may not even make the last-eight at the US Open.
In the French Open final, Sabalenka finished with 37 winners but also 70 unforced errors in a three-set loss to Coco Gauff. In a Wimbledon semifinal defeat to Amanda Anisimova, the world No. 1 blasted 37 unforced errors, of which 14 came in the deciding set. In her lone hard-court tournament played going into the US Open, the Belarusian made it past her opening three matches before delivering a poor performance and being ousted 1-6 4-6 by Elena Rybakina in the Cincinnati quarterfinal.
While reaching the deeper stages is not a problem for Sabalenka, she has evidently struggled in some big matches lately. Stubbs, who worked with Serena Williams during the 2022 US Open, suggested on her podcast that the Belarusian has become unpredictable with her game. And in case the three-time Grand Slam winner has a bad day early on, Stubbs thinks the top seed could easily lose in one of the early rounds.
Stubbs: It's ups and downs with Sabalenka… I'm concerned if she's even going to make the QF with the way she's been playing
"She (can) have a mid-court forehand 20 ft long. I don't understand that… It's like she doesn't feel the ball, but when she's hitting it, amazing, then she can play six points and you are like 'Where did that come from?' She would ace you like three times in a tie break," the former doubles world No. 1 explained on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.
"It's ups and downs for me with Sabalenka, that must, as a coach, I would be like absolutely… My sphincter would be so tight with her coach because no ball is regular and so I have been watching her for the last couple of weeks and I'm concerned if she's even going to get to the quarters with the way she is playing and if she does, good luck."
Sabalenka opens her campaign at Flushing Meadows by taking on world No. 109 Rebeka Masarova in the first round. Last year, the Belarusian won her first US Open title by beating Jessica Pegula in the final.
