Belarusian star and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has almost sealed her place in the WTA Finals semifinals after overcoming Jessica Pegula. Yet, the victory did not come without drama, as tensions with coach Anton Dubrov reached a boiling point, prompting him to leave the court in the deciding set.
Sabalenka has since addressed the confrontation, conceding that she personally “went too far” in the heat of the moment.
Aryna Sabalenka Admits Going ‘Too Far’ During Frustration Over Coach Anton Dubrov in Her WTA Finals Match
Sabalenka opened her WTA Finals campaign in Riyadh in commanding fashion, dispatching Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-1. But against Pegula, the rhythm wasn’t as seamless. After claiming the first set 6-4, the World No. 1 found herself under pressure as the American roared back 6-2 to force a decider. Pegula then struck first, breaking early to move ahead 2-1 and put Sabalenka on the back foot.
Pegula’s challenge proved stern, and tensions peaked in the decider when Dubrov walked away from the court, apparently after taking the brunt of Sabalenka’s frustration during an exchange.
The World No. 1’s fiery emotions have surfaced in the past, and this time her team felt the impact. After the match, Sabalenka candidly acknowledged that she pushed too hard with her coach and crossed the line in the heat of the moment.
“Maybe I went a little bit too much on Anton. We are probably going to, if he is still here, we’re gonna talk. But I don’t know where he is. But yeah, I went a bit too much. I was frustrated inside of me and I was just like trying to let it go. Probably, I went too far. Not probably, I went too far,” she said in her post-match on-court interview.
“Maybe I went a little bit too much on Anton.” 🫢
Aryna Sabalenka explains why her coach Anton Dubrov left the stands mid-match and how that helped her raise her level against Jessica Pegula. #WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/f6o6HyRIX3
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) November 4, 2025
However, Dubrov’s decision to give Sabalenka space ultimately worked in her favor, as she later acknowledged. She regrouped, stormed through the final set 6-3, and revealed that channeling that surge of emotion helped her raise her level and close out the win.
“And then, honestly, I think it was the right move from him to probably just let me be on my own. And I don’t want to say the way, I wanted to say, but he really upset me and I was really stressed and angry on him, and that really helped me to pull out such tennis,” she added.
Firmly in control of her group, Sabalenka needs to win just one set versus Coco Gauff in her next match to guarantee a semifinal berth, with her pathway still wide open even if she falls short.