Aryna Sabalenka’s recent struggles have drawn comparisons to the early career challenges faced by Martina Navratilova.
Pam Shriver noted the similarity after watching Sabalenka’s semi-final defeat to Amanda Anisimova at Wimbledon.
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Even though Sabalenka was clearly second-best on the day, she managed to stay in the match for long stretches thanks to her natural ability and mental toughness.
But it was arguably that same mental edge that let her down in the third set, as Anisimova pulled away to secure the win.
That’s an issue she’ll want to address quickly, especially with expectations only growing around her game.
Pam Shriver draws Aryna Sabalenka and Martina Navratilova comparison
Appearing on The Tennis Podcast, Pam Shriver offered a detailed look back at Aryna Sabalenka’s performance at Wimbledon, both in the semi-final and throughout the tournament.
During her analysis, Shriver drew a notable parallel between Sabalenka and Navratilova, which could be seen as an encouraging sign for the Belarusian’s future.
Sabalenka is said to be facing a challenge similar to one that Navratilova once dealt with before she turned things around in her career.
Shriver explained: “Perhaps because I think she felt like her power could just take her to wins all the time, but then you think what she’s done. We talked about her earlier adding certain shots. So this becomes more decisions that she has to make, how she’s going to play. When is she going to play the drop shot? When is she going to try a slice? When is she going to maybe move to the net?
“So her learning to make smart decisions late in these huge matches can improve. I saw it improve with Navratilova.”
“You know, she was a player that really struggled dealing with pressure late in big matches until she won here for the first time in ’78, and then went on to win 18 total singles majors.
Shriver added: “I’m not saying Sabalenka is going to do that, but I see certain similarities in their physical nature and their power, and their emotions can sometimes get the better of them.”
Sabalenka faces growing expectations ahead of US Open title defence
Pam Shriver gave a detailed review of Aryna Sabalenka’s Wimbledon semi-final, as well as her overall tournament, during her appearance on The Tennis Podcast.
In doing so, she drew a notable comparison between the Belarusian and Navratilova, which could give Sabalenka reason to stay optimistic about what’s ahead.
Sabalenka is dealing with an issue that Navratilova also faced early in her career—an issue the 18-time singles Grand Slam winner eventually overcame.
Shriver explained: “Perhaps, because I think she felt like her power could just take her to wins all the time, but then you think what she’s done. We talked about her earlier, adding certain shots. So this becomes more decisions that she has to make, how she’s going to play. When is she going to play the drop shot? When is she going to try a slice? When is she going to maybe move to the net?
“So her learning to make smart decisions late in these huge matches can improve. I saw it improve with Navratilova.
“You know, she was a player that really struggled dealing with pressure late in big matches until she won here for the first time in ’78, and then she went on to win 18 total singles majors.
“I’m not saying Sabalenka is going to do that, but I see certain similarities in their physical nature, their power, and their emotions can sometimes get the better of them.”
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