"Sabalenka is no longer just power; we have given her more tools"

Aryna Sabalenka is once again where she wanted to be: in the semifinals of the US Open. The world number one will seek a new final in New York tonight against Jessica Pegula, and on the road to that goal, there is an idea that her coach, Anton Dubrov, has been repeating for years. Sabalenka does not need to stop being Sabalenka; she needs to have more and more resources to impose her tennis.

In an interview granted a week ago to the podcast Served by Andy Roddick, Dubrov explained precisely what he considers to be the greatest tactical transformation of his player. His answer perfectly illustrates what she might seek today against Pegula. “The biggest tactical evolution we've made is teaching her how to construct the point,” he explained. It's not simply about asking her to be patient, but teaching her to use different angles, heights, and spins to set up the finishing shot.

This is Sabalenka 2.0: more tools without sacrificing power

“She wants to dominate and likes to dictate,” notes Dubrov. Therefore, the goal has never been to turn Sabalenka into a player who passively waits for the opponent's error. Quite the opposite. Her team has tried to broaden her repertoire so that she can continue to attack, but with a more varied selection of shots. “She can hit with more spin and speed, allowing her to construct points better. It has helped her a lot to stay longer in rallies and to select her shots better,” the coach explained.

This evolution could be especially important against Pegula, whom she has faced on 13 occasions. The American is one of the most solid players on the circuit and is unlikely to give away points. If Sabalenka aims to resolve every exchange at the first opportunity, she will be stepping right into the territory where Pegula may feel most comfortable. Dubrov also highlighted another aspect that has grown within the Belarusian's game: the use of slice and her ability to come to the net. The Belarusian acknowledges that these resources have improved significantly and that Sabalenka now knows when to use them.

With all this information on the table, it is evident that Sabalenka is nothing like she was a few years ago. Dubrov claims he has learned from his player that “there are no limits” and that it makes no sense to force her to play like someone else. His philosophy is to enhance what makes her different and add tools that allow her to use that even better. That will be the challenge for Pegula.

Sabalenka is no longer just that player looking for the fastest possible winner. She still has power as her main argument, but now she knows how to construct the path to get to it. Tonight's semifinal will be another test to see how much that Sabalenka Dubrov knew years ago has evolved. The power remains the same; the difference is that now she has many more ways to utilize it.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Sabalenka ya no es solo potencia, le hemos dado más herramientas”