World No. 1 Sabalenka Stunned Once Again, Loses Third In Last Four Matches
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Aryna Sabalenka continued her struggles also at the 2025 Dubai Championships when she lost to Clara Tauson already in her second match.
Sabalenka started the season by winning 11 consecutive matches. Her first loss came in the final of the Australian Open to Madison Keys, and it was a very painful loss for her.
Immediately after the final, the Belarusian smashed her racket, showing how much the final meant to her. Since then, she couldn't find her top level again.
First, Sabalenka competed at the Qatar Open in Doha, where she lost already in her first match to Ekaterina Alexandrova. Then, she moved to Dubai for another WTA 1000 event.
The WTA World No. 1 managed to win her first match against Veronika Kudermetova, but already in the second round, Sabalenka was stunned by an incredible Clara Tauson.
The Danish player dominated in this match from start to finish. She hit incredible form recently, and she was able to translate it also into the biggest win of her career against Sabalenka.
Tauson started by breaking in the fifth game to lead 3-2, and after two breaks, she was up already 5-2. Although the Dane didn't manage to serve out the first set, as Sabalenka broke back, she didn't have to.
The Belarusian player struggled on her own serve and was broken once again to lose the first set of the match 3-6. Sabalenka needed to find answers, and she did in the first game of the second set.
The top seed started with a break, but she couldn't hold it even for one game. The three-time Grand Slam champion was immediately broken back.
Tauson then managed to add one more break, and after five games, she led already 4-1. The Danish player then didn't use six break points in the following games, but a few minutes later, she could forget any regrets.
Tauson was able to hold her serve and add another break to beat Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2, and advance to the quarter-finals of the WTA 1000 event in Dubai.
For the Danish player, it was a great win, especially because she played a nearly three-hour match on Tuesday, which was even postponed because of rain, which meant that she ended it late at night.
Tauson talked about her 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(4) win over Elina Svitolina even after beating Sabalenka, admitting that the past 24 hours have been crazy for her.
"I tried to play my chance, and it really worked well today. I’ve had some crazy 24 hours after yesterday. I think I slept maybe five hours last night. We went to sleep at 3:30 am. I didn’t know what shape I’d come out here in, but pretty good one."
While Tauson will start preparing for her quarter-final match against Linda Noskova, Sabalenka will now start thinking about the Sunshine Double after two disappointing results in Doha and Dubai.
