Aryna Sabalenka’s fourth-round exit at Wimbledon 2026 extended her title drought. The world No. 1 has not lifted a trophy or reached a final since April, while the defeat at SW19 also prolonged her wait for another Grand Slam title.
Patrick Mouratoglou, who has coached several elite stars, including Serena Williams, Holger Rune, and Naomi Osaka, attributed Sabalenka’s recent run of disappointing results to her highly “emotional” approach on and off the court.
Patrick Mouratglou Critiques Aryna Sabalenka’s Conduct
Sabalenka was the top favorite to win her first Wimbledon title. She started her campaign with a promising 6-2, 6-3 win against Teodora Kostović. She followed that with a 6-1, 7-6(9) win against McCartney Kessler and a 6-4, 6-4 win against Jeļena Ostapenko.
Having won her previous three meetings with Osaka, the 28-year-old entered the fourth-round clash with momentum on her side. However, the fellow four-time Grand Slam champion turned the tables with a dominant display, prevailing 6-2, 7-6(2).
In her post-match press conference, Sabalenka admitted that she wanted to step away from tennis and indulge in a few comforts to help get over the defeat. “I just want to go get completely drunk; forget about tennis.”
Sabalenka’s comments were reminiscent of those she made following her shock French Open quarterfinal loss to Diana Shnaider, a match in which she let a commanding position slip before falling 3-6, 7-5, 6-0. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” she said at the time.
Criticizing Sabalenka’s emotional reaction during defeats and the extreme comments she makes afterward, Mouratoglou said, “She’s very emotional. She’s always been emotional. Actually, that’s something that hurts her during the matches. Some of the matches she’s losing, it’s mostly because of her emotion.”
“The way she deals with it affects her results and affects also how she can speak after the matches. She’s very disappointed about her results. A lot of the matches she lost were not because of her tennis. Her tennis is outstanding, probably the best level at the moment. She’s a killer. She’s someone who’s super ambitious; she wants to dominate. But she has one big weakness, which is how she deals with her emotions,” he continued.
So far in her career, Aryna Sabalenka has featured in 44 finals and won 24 titles. At Grand Slams she has a 50% record, winning just four out of her eight finals, a statistic Mouratoglou believes reflects a missed opportunity given her talent.
“She should win two or three Grand Slams every year, without any doubt. But winning a tennis match is not only about tennis; it’s about dealing with your emotions. And it’s about playing better than your opponent when it counts the most,” he said.
Sabalenka recently revealed that she had reconnected with her psychologist to help navigate her emotions on and off the court. She would hope to make progress on the mental side of the game as she gears up for the North American hardcourt swing, where she’s defending her US Open title.
