By GoalLine365 Sports Desk
Even champions have seasons that sting — and according to former WTA player Rennae Stubbs, Aryna Sabalenka will look back on 2025 with mixed emotions, despite lifting the U.S. Open trophy.
Speaking on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, the Australian tennis analyst gave a brutally honest take on Sabalenka’s year, calling it “a great season, but not the one she hoped for.”
“I would venture to say that she would say it was a great year, but it wasn’t the year she would have hoped for. And that’s an amazing thing to say when you reach as many finals as she has,” Stubbs said.
A Year of Consistency — and Frustration
There’s no denying Sabalenka’s dominance in 2025. The Belarusian star held the World No. 1 ranking for the second consecutive year and reached multiple Grand Slam finals. But despite her consistency, Stubbs believes the world’s top-ranked player fell short of her own sky-high standards.
“You’ve hit the pinnacle by becoming world number one two years in a row — her consistency this year was outrageously good,” Stubbs added. “But having only won one major, the U.S. Open, I’d say she’d consider that a bit of a failure.”
Sabalenka reached the Australian Open final, the French Open final, and the Wimbledon semifinals, but came up short in each. To cap it off, she also lost at the WTA Finals, leaving her with a bittersweet feeling despite an otherwise stellar campaign.
“She’s been so good and so dominant all year, but for someone at her level, she’d be disappointed that she didn’t turn more of those finals into titles,” Stubbs concluded.
Sabalenka’s Honest Reflection
After her season-ending defeat in Riyadh, Sabalenka herself echoed that sentiment, admitting that while she’s proud of her effort, she knows she can do better.
“Sometimes players are better on the day than you,” she told reporters. “The good thing is I’m always there. The bad thing this season — I lost most of the biggest finals I made.”
Still, the 27-year-old is keeping things in perspective — and even finding a little humor in the heartbreak.
“I guess I’ll just sit back in the Maldives with my tequila and analyze everything,” she said with a smile. “It’s been a pretty good year so far, but I just need to be a little better with myself. Hopefully next season I’ll improve.”
Even in a “disappointing” year, Aryna Sabalenka’s worst season is still better than most players’ best — and that says it all.
