Aryna Sabalenka’s problems. The Belarusian’s first defeat in the WTA Finals

The WTA Finals is the culminating event of the 2023 season. Although in recent days there has been a lot of talk about the organizational problems of the event, as well as about the letter that the world’s best players sent to the WTA, sports competition still makes itself felt. Aryna Sabalenka is entering this competition for the first time as the leader of the world ranking.

Aryna Sabalenka with a surprise defeat in the WTA Finals

The Belarusian started the tournament with an express win over Maria Sakkari. The Greek won only one game, which only proves the one-sidedness of the duel. The clash between Sabalenka and Pegula did not seem so easy, as the American also won the first match in Cancun. Although the first racket in the world usually came out on top in direct fights, this time the luck came to the American.

She entered the match well, introducing her own style of play to which her opponent could not get used. Sabalenka was often forced to run around the court, being positioned by Pegula. Her serve was very dangerous and she quickly found herself on the verge of winning the set. At the last minute, Sabalenka started a fight, but from 2:5 she was able to bring it to 4:5. Ultimately, Pegula won 6:4.

The American did not allow Sabalenka, encouraged by a good ending of the game, to start a fight. She made her game difficult again, leading to an outburst of frustration when the score was 3-0 for Pegula. She stayed calm, which gave her another break. She was close to winning the set again. She gave no illusions to Sabalenko, winning 6:3.

Aryna Sabalenka is still unsure of promotion

Pegula secured advancement to the tournament semi-finals. In turn, Aryna Sabalenka must win against Elena Rybakina to extend her chance to fight for victory in the WTA Finals.