When Aryna Sabalenka talks about beating Elena Rybakina, she doesn’t just describe a tennis match she tells a story about focus, fire, and belief. The world No. 1 opened up about her mindset in one of her toughest rivalries, revealing the secret behind her breakthrough against one of the WTA’s most powerful players.
Rybakina, known for her calm demeanor and bullet-like serves, has been one of the few players capable of matching Sabalenka shot for shot. Their battles have become some of the most explosive in women’s tennis raw power meeting raw emotion. But according to Sabalenka, the key to finally overcoming her rival wasn’t about hitting harder. It was about thinking smarter.
“I realized I couldn’t out-hit her every time,” Sabalenka said in a recent interview. “Elena plays with this quiet intensity she doesn’t show emotion, and it can mess with you mentally. I had to stop reacting to her calmness and start owning my energy instead.”
That shift from emotional reaction to mental control was the turning point. In the Australian Open final, where Sabalenka beat Rybakina in three thrilling sets, the Belarusian star didn’t just overpower her opponent; she outlasted her mentally.
“After losing the first set, I told myself: just stay there. Every point, fight. Don’t think about the score, don’t think about the pressure. Just trust your work,” she said. “Once I stopped trying to be perfect, I started to play my best tennis.”
It worked. Sabalenka’s fearless baseline aggression, backed by a more stable serve and unwavering confidence, allowed her to seize control of the match. She fired 17 aces and 51 winners that night but what mattered most was her composure.
For a player once known for emotional outbursts, this was a different Sabalenka calmer, more calculated, but still ferocious. “In the past, I’d get frustrated too fast. I’d let one mistake destroy three games. Now, I breathe, reset, and move on. That’s how I beat her,” she said with a smile.
Even Rybakina acknowledged her rival’s growth after the match, calling Sabalenka’s mental improvement “the real difference.”
Sabalenka’s victory wasn’t just about lifting a trophy it was about conquering herself. “I’m learning to enjoy the fight,” she said. “Every time I face Rybakina, I have to dig deeper. But that’s what makes me stronger.”
And with that mindset, it’s hard to see anyone stopping her soon.
