Why Aryna Sabalenka still hasn’t won Wimbledon

Two times Australian Open champion. US Open winner. French Open runner-up. Wimbledon semifinalist. The Grand Slams haven’t quite gone Aryna Sabalenka’s way. As world number one, she would have hoped to win all of them — and she certainly has the game to do it. But sometimes, even the best-laid plans go awry.

You can’t win them all — which is why a calendar Grand Slam remains so elusive. Steffi Graf was the last to do it; in fact, she went one better in 1988, completing the "Golden Slam" by winning Seoul Olympic gold too. But Sabalenka is not Graf. At least, not yet.

If Graf could do it, Sabalenka can too. So what’s the difference? Emotional maturity. Graf was rarely rattled, even when the match wasn't going her way.

Her 1993 Wimbledon final against Jana Novotna comes to mind. The Czech surged ahead as Graf struggled with her forehand in the second set. But the German hung in. No emotions. No tantrums. Just patience. In the end, Novotna crumbled under pressure in the third set, and Graf walked away with the fifth of her seven Wimbledon titles.

Maybe Sabalenka should watch that match. It’s a masterclass in weathering poor form and an opponent’s hot streak.

Amanda Anisimova was the better player on Thursday (July 10), dictating play and firing winners. But instead of staying composed under pressure, Sabalenka became visibly frustrated.

Unlike her post-match press conference after the French Open — where she implied Coco Gauff didn’t deserve to win — she was more gracious in defeat this time, crediting Anisimova. Still, she admitted to being irritated by the American’s premature celebration of a point and upset by her lack of apology after a net cord.

These are signs of a player still struggling to manage the pressure. At 27, with three Grand Slam titles to her name, Sabalenka should be able to handle these moments better and not let such distractions throw her off.

That said, she took this loss better than the one in Paris. That’s progress.

Sabalenka will most certainly add more majors to her tally of two Australian Opens and the US Open crown. One day, she might win Wimbledon too, even if her best results there so far have been three semifinal appearances.

She has the game for grass — a complete game, according to nine-time Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova. No obvious weaknesses, except her temperament. If she can master that, there’s no reason Sabalenka can’t triumph at the All England Club.