Aryna Sabalenka’s Berlin Open campaign came to a swift end on Saturday afternoon.
After snatching the second set from Jessica Pegula, many would have expected Sabalenka to ride the wave of momentum all the way to the finish line.
However, it was not to be for the 28-year-old Belarusian.
Who are you most worried about heading into Wimbledon – Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, or Iga Swiatek?
Some of the biggest names on the WTA Tour are in poor form…
Sabalenka proceeded to lose the match 6-4, 6-7, 6-0; winning just seven of the final 27 points.
This incredible final-set scoreline has seen Sabalenka make unfortunate tennis history.
Aryna Sabalenka’s unfortunate recent history
Last month Sabalenka suffered a shocking defeat to Diana Shnaider in the French Open quarter-finals.
Leading 6-3, 5-3, Sabalenka proceeded to lose the next 10 games – and the match.
The final result of the contest ended up being 3-6, 7-5, 6-0; much to the devastation of Sabalenka, who claimed she felt like ‘quitting’ tennis after the match.
On Saturday, Sabalenka was again on the wrong side of a 6-0 scoreline when she played against Jessica Pegula.
As per statisticians OptaAce, since the WTA rankings were first published in 1975, Aryna Sabalenka is now the first world number one to concede 6-0 deciding sets at multiple and consecutive WTA-level events.
This is an astonishing statistic to be associated with a player who has been so dominant on the Tour over the past few years.
The Belarusian really is struggling to locate her best form; and she will need to do so quickly ahead of Wimbledon, which begins on June 29.
Will we see another new Grand Slam champion at Wimbledon?
Last month, a new major champion was crowned.
Mirra Andreeva, 18, won her first Grand Slam title after beating Maja Chwalinska in the Roland Garros final.
New Grand Slam champions have been rare in recent years, what with the dominant play of Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.
However, we could most certainly witness another new champion in London next month.
The four Grand Slam champions in the WTA top 10 – Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek – have all failed to impress over the past two months on the Tour.
How far will Elena Rybakina go at Wimbledon this year?
The world number two is really struggling…
Those individuals have all suffered early exits at multiple WTA events; and none of them seem to be in the form needed to win a major title.
The highest-ranked player on the Tour without a Slam title is Jessica Pegula – who was knocked out in the first round of last year’s Wimbledon event.
However, Pegula has proven herself to be an excellent grass-court player in the past, and one would not be surprised if she lifts the Venus Rosewater Dish later this year.
