Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Aryna Sabalenka’s American Nightmare Continues – How Has Sabalenka Failed to Solve the US Puzzle in Pursuit of Grand Slam Glory?

Three Grand Slam finals, three American opponents, and three crushing losses to Aryna Sabalenka.

Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Aryna Sabalenka’s 2025 season has been a test of excellence and exasperation. For the third time this year, the Belarusian star fell short in a Grand Slam final. Each loss was delivered by an American opponent, and each was in three sets. The latest heartbreak came at Wimbledon, where she was outlasted by Amanda Anisimova in a tense, nervy semifinal. Before that, it was Coco Gauff in Paris and Madison Keys in Melbourne.

AMERICAN AMANDA ANISIMOVA UPSETS NO. 1 ARYNA SABALENKA TO HEAD TO HER FIRST EVER WIMBLEDON FINAL 🤯🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/OLMepQQcq8
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 10, 2025

Three Americans. Three Grand Slam Finals.

This troubling pattern isn’t new. It traces back to the 2023 US Open, where Sabalenka also lost to Gauff. Despite being the world No. 1 and one of the most physically dominant players on the tour, Sabalenka seems to hit a mental wall when facing Americans under the sport’s brightest lights.

Australian Open finals against Madison Keys:

At the Australian Open, Keys stunned defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to claim her maiden Grand Slam title. It was Keys’ second major final and her first in over seven years, while Sabalenka was bidding for a rare three-peat in Melbourne. After an emotional hug at the net, the Belarusian smashed her racquet in frustration and left the court draped in a towel.

Aryna Sabalenka has reached the final of the last 3 Grand Slams.

She has also won her last 5 Grand Slam semifinal appearances.

World #1 behavior. 🐅 pic.twitter.com/0zK50rMapz
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 5, 2025

French Open finals against Coco Gauff:

In Paris, it was Gauff who broke through. The American second seed battled past Sabalenka in a gripping Roland Garros final, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4, to lift her first French Open crown. It was another high-stakes, high-quality match and another stinging three-set loss for the Belarusian.

Wimbledon semifinals against Amanda Anisimova:

At Wimbledon, Anisimova kept the trend alive. Holding a winning 5-3 head-to-head against Sabalenka coming in, the 13th seed outlasted her once again, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, to reach her first Grand Slam final.

Not Always, But This Year So Far

Sabalenka did notch a win over Jessica Pegula at the 2024 US Open, but that remains a lone exception in an otherwise consistent pattern of American-inflicted Grand Slam setbacks. The Belarusian has had success against U.S. players elsewhere, beating Pegula in Miami and at last year’s Cincinnati. Earlier in her career, she also defeated Alison Riske in the finals of both the 2019 Shenzhen Open and Wuhan Open.

100 – Aryna Sabalenka is the second player in the Open Era to have 100+ consecutive Women's Singles matches at Grand Slams without a straight-sets loss, after Martina Navratilova (142, Wimbledon 1981-Australian Open 1987). Precipice.#Wimbledon | @Wimbledon @WTA pic.twitter.com/7zSLDssl29
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) July 10, 2025

But those wins, while notable, haven’t carried over when the stakes are highest. Whether it’s the aggressive baseline firepower of Keys, the counterpunching genius of Gauff, or the fearless shotmaking of Anisimova, Sabalenka has yet to find the formula. And until she does, her Grand Slam dreams will continue to be haunted by the red, white, and blue.

Mandatory Image Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Amanda Anisimova

Aryna Sabalenka

Coco Gauff

Grand Slams

Madison Keys

Rudra Dubey

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.