Aryna Sabalenka hits an unwanted four-year record with a fiery reaction during her WTA Finals loss
Aryna Sabalenka has dropped out of the top two tennis rankings for the first time since 2022 after losing to Elena Svitolina in the group stage at Indian Wells. On Friday, Svitolina won 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, while Sabalenka showed her usual frustration as her season ended at the WTA Finals.
Sabalenka’s impressive run of making it to the Finals’ knockout rounds for four years came to an end thanks to Svitolina, who is now through to the semi-finals. During the third set, Sabalenka lost track of the ball and looked visibly annoyed as she walked to pick it up. She then lost the deciding set 1-6.
Later, she was caught on camera shouting toward her team after dropping an important point, something her fans have seen before. Sabalenka has often struggled with her emotions on court — back in September, she was fined for a heated outburst at the US Open. During the match with Svitolina, she showed several moments of frustration, including hitting her racket.
Because of these recent results, Mirra Andreeva will take Sabalenka’s place as world No. 2. Iga Swiatek also lost her spot in the top two after a long run starting in March 2022. Just two days earlier, Sabalenka lost 11 games in a row against Andreeva, falling 6-4, 6-0 in the round-robin stage. Though Sabalenka started strong with a 4-1 lead, Andreeva fought back to win 11 straight games. Earlier this year, Sabalenka also lost 11 games in a row at Roland Garros against Diana Shnaider.
Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, has faced criticism from fans this year for her body language on the court. Against Svitolina, she made 35 unforced errors and couldn’t hold on to a lead in the final set. The win was Svitolina’s first in six years against Sabalenka, who had dominated their previous matches.
Rick Macci, known for coaching Serena Williams, gave a tough assessment of Sabalenka’s future. He said she’s “on a very slippery slope,” explaining that her strength is now working against her. He pointed out that her defense is only average and she lacks different strategies to adapt during matches. Macci predicts we’ll see significant changes in Sabalenka’s career in 2027.
Despite the recent setbacks, Sabalenka’s year hasn’t been all bad. Earlier in 2026, she won both Indian Wells and Miami, achieving the Sunshine Double. She also reached the finals of the Australian and US Opens but came up short in both. This year, she lost the No. 1 ranking to Elena Rybakina and will end the season without a Grand Slam title after her disappointing Finals exit. This also ends Sabalenka’s four-year streak of winning at least one Slam every season since 2022.