Aryna Sabalenka’s 2025 season did not end in the way she would have hoped after falling at the final hurdle of the WTA Finals.
Sabalenka, the world number one, was defeated by sixth seed Elena Rybakina in the final: 3-6, 6-7.
Remarkably, Rybakina defeated Sabalenka 7-0 in the second set tiebreak; Sabalenka has won 22 tiebreaks this year, a single-season record.
The loss marked the third occasion this season that Sabalenka has lost a significant WTA final in 2025, following defeats in the Australian Open final and French Open final.
However, despite these losses, Sabalenka has been the star player on the WTA Tour this season and has finished the year as the world number one for a second consecutive campaign.
And, according to Sam Querrey, Sabalenka could go on to achieve greater things in 2026.
Sam Querrey says he would not be surprised if Aryna Sabalenka wins three Grand Slams in 2026
Aryna Sabalenka has a problem she needs to fix heading into 2026: her ability to leap over the final hurdle at significant WTA events.
In 2025, Sabalenka was close to completing the calendar Grand Slam, despite winning only one major. This is because she made three Grand Slam finals and one semi-final.
Former world number 10 Sam Querrey has taken note of Sabalenka’s dominance throughout 2025 during a discussion on the Nothing Major podcast.
Querrey said: “Sabalenka is clearly the best player in the world this year, right? Like clearly…It is pretty crazy that she only won one of the five biggest events and is like clearly the best player in the world.
“Usually you can make an argument like, you know like Keys or Coco or Rybakina. She’s like dominant, but in a weird way also not that dominant…I don’t think it’s anything.
“I just think it’s a coincidence that she didn’t win another one, and then next year maybe she wins two of them… I’m not surprised if Sabalenka wins three majors next year.”
WTA players who have won three Grand Slams in a calendar year in the Open Era
In the Open Era, seven women have won three Grand Slams in a calendar year – some on multiple occasions.
Margaret first accomplished the feat in 1969, doing so again in 1970 and 1973. Billie Jean King achieved the feat in 1972.
A decade after Court’s 1973 feat, Martina Navratilova won three Grand Slams in a calendar year for the first time, doing so again in 1984.
23-time Grand Slam champion Steffi Graf achieved the feat five times – the most of any female player in the Open Era.
| Player | Years they won three Grand Slam titles in the Open Era |
| Margaret Court | 1969, 1970, 1973 |
| Billie Jean King | 1972 |
| Martina Navratilova | 1983, 1984 |
| Steffi Graf | 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 |
| Monica Seles | 1991, 1992 |
| Martina Hingis | 1997 |
| Serena Williams | 2002, 2015 |
Monica Seles added her name to the list in 1991 and 1992, as did Serena Williams in 2002 and 2015.
Martina Hingis also accomplished the feat, in 1997.
