BECKER SAYS SABALENKA'S FORM SLIPPING AMID SOCIAL MEDIA FOCUS

Boris Becker has suggested that Aryna Sabalenka's recent on-court struggles may be linked to her active social media presence and private life priorities. Speaking on the Becker-Petkovic podcast ahead of the US Open, the six-time Major Champion said he observes Sabalenka "more on social media than on a tennis court" and questioned whether her engagement and personal circumstances have caused her to lose concentration. Becker noted that Sabalenka has won many titles and earned substantial prize money over a long career at the highest level.

Sabalenka, currently ranked World No. 1, has suffered seven losses since March, including two 0-6 set defeats at the French Open against Diana Shnaider and in Berlin against Jessica Pegula. In Cincinnati, she allowed a significant lead to slip away against Sara Bejlek, and at Wimbledon she made crucial errors in a second-set tiebreak. Sabalenka maintains over five million Instagram followers and features in dance videos on TikTok. In a Time interview, she stated that social media engagement was important to her and that she did not object to criticism for her online activity.

Sabalenka has indicated that time spent on social media serves both personal and professional purposes. The women's singles draw for the 2026 US Open was unveiled on Thursday, 27 August, placing Sabalenka among the tournament's main contenders alongside Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.