Overview
- In late July Sabalenka told the First&Red interviewers that she prefers Jannik Sinner’s style to Carlos Alcaraz’s because she sees similar aggressive baseline and serving traits.
- She said Novak Djokovic gave concrete technical advice on her return stance and encouraged a split‑step-first approach that she has tried to incorporate into match play.
- Sabalenka also recounted Djokovic’s guidance on the emotional side of finals, describing the adoption of meditation, walks and brief on‑court rituals to help refocus.
- Objective measures complicate the narrative: Tennishead’s analysis shows several 2026 return metrics are down versus 2021 even as Sabalenka won the 2026 Sunshine Double and posted a strong season win‑loss record.
- The changes matter because Sabalenka remains WTA world No. 1 since October 2024 and is the two‑time defending US Open champion with a narrow points gap to challengers, so the Canadian Open, Cincinnati and the US Open will be key tests of form and ranking.