Aryna Sabalenka has lost in the Wimbledon semi-finals, having failed to overcome an inspired Amanda Anisimova.
The American was good value for her victory, the better player throughout, who just seemed more willing to take the necessary risks to grab the match by the scruff of its neck.
Meanwhile, the world number one seemed tentative, stressed at the prospect of losing rather than buoyed by the opportunity to win.
There were numerous factors that contributed to Aryna Sabalenka’s eventual defeat, with many pundits rushing to deliver their verdict on what went wrong.
Well, Pam Shriver has now offered a look inside the Belarusian’s camp, and how they have reacted to the loss.
How Aryna Sabalenka’s camp reacted to her Wimbledon semi-final defeat
Speaking on The Tennis Podcast, Shriver, a special guest, provided some crucial insight into how Sabalenka and her camp responded to such a crushing defeat.
She revealed the text messages she exchanged with a member of the team, starting by claiming: “Saw a couple of those backhands as well. It just looked like a frozen rope. Um, I saw it fail a couple of times towards the end.
“I did have a little text message exchange after the match with somebody in Sabalenka’s camp who referred to the match as a tactical mess.
“So that kind of goes back to how much Sabalenka should have been picking on the forehand side. Obviously, when Anisimova got tight towards the end, to get to her first major final, and there’s always going to be some messy unforced. I can’t think of a person who doesn’t make the odd, horrible mistake out of nerves.
“But in the end, I think Sabalenka has really got to do some thinking between now and the US Open, where she’ll be trying to defend her title. Aside from her tactics, I thought Sabalenka looked so stressed in her face.
“Every time the camera went in on her, I felt like Anisimova’s face told you that she was a little more calm on the inside, and generally, if you look a little calmer on the inside, you come out on top more times than not.”
Lindsay Davenport admitted that Sabalenka struggles against Anisimova before the match, and struggle she did.
Aryna Sabalenka has lacked the killer instinct at Grand Slams this year
Sabalenka is deservedly the top-ranked women’s player in the world, and at times acts as such.
However, in her press conference after yesterday’s defeat, she even admitted that at times she forgets just how good she is, playing within herself.
It did seem like her match against Anisimova was one of those moments, more afraid of losing than keen to snatch the win.
If she plays her very best tennis, unburdened by fear or expectation, there’s arguably nobody who can stop her on any surface.
And yet, she has now lost in the Australian Open final, the French Open final, and the Wimbledon semi-final.
Sabalenka will be hoping to return to the US Open, as the reigning champion, and show everyone that she has not lost her champion’s touch at these elite events. If she just goes out and plays her game, regaining that killer instinct that has led her to three Grand Slam titles so far in her career, she should soar to success.
