"Aryna Sabalenka would be very disappointed" - Former WTA pro calls Belarusian's 2025 season a 'failure' despite US Open triumph

Former tennis player Rennae Stubbs believes that Aryna Sabalenka’s season fell short after losing multiple finals this year. The Belarusian secured runner-up finishes in Melbourne, Indian Wells, Paris, Stuttgart, and Riyadh.

Despite all the losses, Sabalenka held on to her No. 1 spot in the WTA Rankings. She has a 2400 point lead over her arch rival, Iga Swiatek.

Stubbs praised the 27-year-old for capturing the US Open title, but admitted that, overall, Sabalenka would likely be disappointed with her season.

"I would venture to say that she would say it was a great year, but it wasn't the year that she would have hoped for. And that's an amazing thing to say when you reach as many finals as she has," Stubbs said on 'The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast'

"You've hit the pinnacle by becoming world number one two years in a row, like the consistency that she had this year was outrageously good. But having only won one, essentially one major title, the US Open, I would say that she would say that her year was a little bit of a failure," she added

Interestingly, Sabalenka became the first player since Serena Williams, a former student of Rennae Stubbs, to retain her US Open crown this year. Williams managed the same by winning at the Flushing Meadows in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Stubbs continued her analysis of Sabalenka's season and said a player of her stature would be disappointed to lose so many significant finals.

"She's been so good, and consistently the best player all year, and making all the finals that she did, I think she would be highly disappointed that she lost in the finals of the Australian Open, that she lost in the semifinals of Wimbledon."

She also lost the French Open final, and then she lost her WTA Final. I think that for her, someone who's that dominant, she would be very disappointed that she didn't get more major titles under her belt this year," Rennae Stubbs added

Sabalenka claimed the honors in Brisbane, Miami, Madrid, and New York this season. She also set a new personal record by winning 22 tie-breakers in a single year on tour.

"The bad thing this season, I lost most of the biggest finals I made" - Aryna Sabalenka addresses her concerns after a busy season in 2025

Aryna Sabalenka, Garbine Muguruza, and Elena Rybakina at the WTA Finals - Source: Getty

Aryna Sabalenka entered the WTA Finals as the top seed this year. She held her nerve in the initial few rounds, but couldn't make her mark against Elena Rybakina in the final.

The Belarusian expressed her feelings after a tough loss in Riyadh and also analyzed her overall season on tour. Rybakina outfoxed her in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(0).

“Sometimes players are better on the day than you,” Aryna Sabalenka said during her post-match press conference in Riyadh. “And how to recover after such a tough loss? I mean, the good thing is that I’m always there. The bad thing this season, I lost most of the biggest finals I made."

Sabalenka has now secured runner-up finishes at the WTA Finals twice in her career. She also reached the finals in 2022, but lost to Carolina Garcia in straight sets.

“I guess I’ll just sit back in the Maldives having my probably tequila and think back and try to analyze my maybe behavior, my emotions and think that actually it’s been pretty good so far. I just need to get little bit better with myself a little bit more, and hopefully next season I’ll improve,” Aryna Sabalenka added

Sabalenka will be expected to feature at the 2026 Australian Open. She's reached the finals in Melbourne consecutively for the last three years.