A Season That Unravelled Fast
Aryna Sabalenka arrived at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells carrying serious baggage from a rough autumn stretch. Early exits at the China Open and the Wuhan Open had already dented her confidence, and the season-ending tournament only deepened her troubles. After beating Karolina Muchova in her opening round-robin match, Sabalenka was dominated by Mirra Andreeva and then fell to Elina Svitolina 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in a winner-takes-all group-stage decider. Svitolina closed out the match by winning the final six games consecutively, sending Sabalenka home without a semi-final berth.
The collapse fits a disturbing pattern. Sabalenka has now lost 11 consecutive games in a single match on two separate occasions this season: first against Diana Shnaider at the French Open, and again against Andreeva at the WTA Finals. She also hammered rackets and vented at her support team as the Svitolina defeat slipped away, with 35 unforced errors underlining a mental and tactical unravelling.
Macci's Warning and What Comes Next
Serena Williams's former coach Rick Macci pulled no punches in his public assessment, writing on social media that Sabalenka's greatest strength, her ferocious competitive drive, has now flipped into a liability. He argued her defensive game is merely average and that she lacks the adaptability to execute a different game plan when her first option stops working.
The numbers back up the concern. Sabalenka has not won a title since the Miami Open in late March, she has slipped to third in the world rankings behind Elena Rybakina and Andreeva, and could fall further if Jessica Pegula claims the WTA Finals trophy. With the 2027 season on the horizon, all eyes will be on whether Sabalenka can rediscover her identity during the off-season. TennisDraw bracket builders had largely backed Sabalenka to reach the semi-finals, making her group-stage exit one of the app's most surprising busted picks of the year.
