Aryna Sabalenka’s form heading into Wimbledon has been questionable at best.
The world number one’s inconsistent form began at the French Open, when she was stunned in the quarter-finals by 28th seed Diana Shnaider – losing the final 10 games of the match.
Two weeks later, the Belarusian was dumped out of the Berlin Open by Jessica Pegula.
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In truth, Sabalenka’s form over the past four weeks has raised questions about her status as a Wimbledon contender.
Jimmy Connors, another former world number one, has now weighed in on Sabalenka’s standing among the Wimbledon field.
Jimmy Connors asks Aryna Sabalenka: Can you move past the tough losses?
“I look at Sabalenka, and she’s once again the favourite,” the five-time US Open champion said on the Advantage Connors Podcast.
“But I look from our conversations over the past weeks, where her attitude is,” he added.
“Can she wipe all that aside too? And go on a different surface and take that air, that confidence that we’re normally used to seeing from her out into this tournament that, as you said, she’s never won before.
“We keep saying it, she’s got the game.
“But the next three or four or five names that you mentioned there see that she is beatable and you know, just go out and walk out there and take care of your business.
“Sometimes, a lot of good things happen.”
Following her surprising defeat in Berlin, Sabalenka has chosen not to compete in any more grass-court events ahead of Wimbledon.
Consequently, she has chosen to skip the Eastbourne Open and Bad Homburg Open.
This decision will have no effect on the Belarusian’s ranking, as she did not compete at either event last year.
Sabalenka can now fully focus on Wimbledon, which is set to begin on June 29.
Aryna Sabalenka’s reaction after losing at Wimbledon last year
When Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the semi-finals of last year’s Wimbledon Championships, many had the Belarusian nailed on to reach the final.
After all, she would play Amanda Anisimova – a player who had reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam once before.
Anisimova ultimately defied the odds, beating Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in 2 hours and 37 minutes.
The occasion represented another tough loss on the Grand Slam stage for Sabalenka, who had lost finals at the Australian Open and French Open earlier that year.
“I think even though I lost a lot of finals, I lost tough matches at the Slams this year, I still think that the consistency I was able to bring till this moment, it’s impressive,” Sabalenka said after losing in London.
“Still a lot of things to be proud of. This experience shows that next year I’m only hungrier and angrier. These tough defeats help me to come back much stronger. I have huge hopes for the next year.
“I think I just have to constantly in those matches remind myself, like, how strong I am and remember I have to be the brave one, I have to go for my shots. I don’t have to stop my arms.
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“I have to be confident in my shots, in my decisions, just trust myself. It seems like in all of these three, three tough defeats on the Slams, for me it seems like I wasn’t trusting myself.
“Every time when I remind myself you have to trust, you can do literally anything on the court, every time I show my best tennis.
“I think maybe US Open left, I have to just trust myself and go for it.”
Sabalenka went on to win the US Open, beating Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 in the final.
