McEnroe and Borg? Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina rivalry gets comparison but with one main difference

Sunday, 20 September 2026 at 03:00

Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka holding trophies

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina's rivalry, which came to a head at the US Open this past weekend, has been compared to one of the leading rivalries, and that is McEnroe and Borg.

But there is one leading difference in the view of Patrick Mouratoglou, former coach of Serena Williams and current mentor of Stefanos Tsitsipas, as he said that while McEnroe was able to manage his emotions when he got angry and smashed racquets, Sabalenka cannot.

He spoke on his YouTube channel and said that Sabalenka, who swore at the camera and smashed her racquet, has to learn to control her emotions better to be able to unlock further results. Often when Sabalenka has not been able to get over the line, it has led to anger and frustration which has often boiled over.

She has lost four out of her last five Grand Slam finals and has also lost the world No. 1 ranking to Elena Rybakina in recent days. She was beaten by the 27-year-old in the final of the US Open too and has had her first slamless year since 2022. Not great for someone who has spearheaded the sport since the demise of Iga Swiatek.

“I’m not here to give advice, but she definitely needs to figure out how to manage her emotions better," said Mouratoglou.

Elena Rybakina posing with US Open trophy

Elena Rybakina poses with the Championship Trophy after defeating Aryna Sabalenka at the finals in Arthur Ashe Stadium during The US Open

“I think that’s the only thing that prevents her from being a number two in the world now and someone who doesn’t win Grand Slams anymore to someone who’s going to win many more and who potentially can come back to number one.”

Fire and ice – McEnroe and Borg

But he then made the comparison of fire and ice, or McEnroe and Borg, and said that it is very much the latest iteration, albeit with one vital difference, as was previously explained, where one is very much cool and calm in Rybakina. While Sabalenka is very much hot-headed.

“What I find very interesting is the fact that this final had the exact opposite in terms of personality. And they’re number one and number two in the world. One is fire. Do I have to say who the fire is? Aryna Sabalenka. One is ice. Do I have to say who the ice is? It’s Elena Rybakina.

“One is so calm, so much in control of her emotions. One is so fiery, so much out of control of her emotions. It reminds me of McEnroe and Borg. At that time, you had the ice; you had Borg, not one word, always in control of his emotions.

“And you had the fire. McEnroe breaking rackets, getting angry. Now, there is one difference between John McEnroe and Aryna Sabalenka. When McEnroe was getting angry, he was a much better player than when he was not angry.

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“When Aryna Sabalenka gets angry, she loses her tennis. So for her to manage her emotion is such an important key compared to someone that plays his best tennis when he gets angry.”

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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