Caroline Wozniacki has come out swinging in defence of Aryna Sabalenka, dismissing suggestions that a mental fragility is behind the world No. 1's recent Grand Slam struggles.
Sabalenka's Wimbledon campaign ended in painful fashion when Naomi Osaka, seeded 14th, defeated her 2-6, 6-7(2) in the last 16, snapping an extraordinary run of reaching at least the quarter-finals at 14 consecutive majors. The defeat reignited debate about whether the Belarusian can convert her dominant consistency into major silverware at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, the two Slams that have so far eluded her.
The criticism has been sharp in some quarters. Tennis legend Jimmy Connors recently suggested Sabalenka would need to "start proving herself," a remark that drew widespread attention across the tour.
But Wozniacki, speaking exclusively to Tennis365, offered a measured and empathetic counter-argument. The Danish former world No. 1 pointed out that expectations surrounding Sabalenka have become almost impossibly high, and that even the most dominant players are still human. She stressed that every opponent on tour studies Sabalenka's every movement, making sustained perfection an unrealistic demand.
Wozniacki was also quick to credit Osaka, saying it was some of the best tennis she had witnessed from the Japanese star in quite some time, and that sometimes you simply have to acknowledge a brilliantly played performance from the other side of the net.
The Dane expressed full confidence that Sabalenka will return refreshed and motivated for the hard-court swing, predicting she will arrive ready to compete at the very highest level once again.
Sabalenka has won two Australian Open titles and two US Open titles, so TennisDraw users who backed her deep into hard-court Slam brackets have historically been well rewarded.
