2008 Beijing Olympics gold medalist Elena Dementieva thought that "a lack of freshness" caused Aryna Sabalenka not to play her best and subsequently lose 3-6 6-7 (3) to Elena Rybakina in the WTA Finals final.
Sabalenka made it past her Riyadh group with a perfect 3-0 record after ousting Jasmine Paolini and Coco Gauff in straight sets, as well as clinching a three-set victory over Jessica Pegula. In the semifinal, the world No. 1 needed three sets to beat Amanda Anisimova in a high-quality match.
But then, in what was her second title match at the WTA Finals, Sabalenka failed to deliver her best tennis and paid the ultimate price. During the match, the Belarusian tennis star didn't register a single break although she had five break points. Also, she missed out on two consecutive set points on Rybakina's serve while leading 5-4 in the second set.
Dementieva: Sabalenka seemed slower than usual and tiredness impacted the speed of her decision-making
"You know, it seemed to me that she lacked a little freshness in the final. We talked about the fact that Elena had difficult opponents but Aryna Sabalenka had no less difficult ones. As it seems to me, Elena was a little unlucky with the schedule because it turned out she played three matches in a row. The problem wasnt her opponents we know her well. As soon as she faces a stronger opponent or a more difficult situation, she usually plays even better," former world No. 3 Dementieva explained.
Former 16-time WTA champion Dementieva also acknowledged that Sabalenka didn't only have matches to play at Riyadh, but also had to recover from matches, do her usual gym stuff, as well conduct her duties for the press.
"Its interesting even to think how late she actually managed to fall asleep, and how much rest she really got. These little nuances all make a difference. In the final, she seemed a little slower than usual. It affected her speed of decision-making and the decisions themselves," Dementieva added.
After the loss to Rybakina, Sabalenka revealed that she had a trip booked to the Maldives and that she was planning to relax there with some alcohol.
