“She improved what didn’t work”: Kim Clijsters highlights Sabalenka’s evolution after Australina Open loss

Kim Clijsters has placed Aryna Sabalenka’s Sunshine Double at the centre of her latest analysis, pointing to a combination of tactical adjustments and mental clarity behind the World No.1’s titles at Indian Wells and Miami.

Speaking on the Love All Podcast, the former four-time Grand Slam champion framed Sabalenka’s wins over Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff as the result of deliberate evolution following her Australian Open final defeat earlier in the season.

Sabalenka saved match point to defeat Rybakina in the Indian Wells final before backing it up with a three-set win over Gauff in Miami, extending her lead at the top of the rankings and surpassing 75 consecutive weeks as World No.1. The back-to-back WTA 1000 titles reinforced her consistency across high-pressure matches against two of the tour’s most complete players.

Clijsters, a former World No.1 who won four Grand Slam titles, focused less on the outcome itself and more on the process behind it, highlighting how Sabalenka adapted both technically and mentally across the two tournaments. Her assessment centred on the ability to adjust patterns, sustain aggression, and remain composed in decisive moments.

“It was a very high-intensity, high-level match between two players who play in a very similar way. What we’ve learned over the last few days is that players look for solutions. I was a little surprised how open they were about the adjustments and the game plan.”

Clijsters pointed to Sabalenka’s adjustments on serve as a key factor in shifting the dynamic against Rybakina, particularly the introduction of more variation on the second serve. Rather than relying exclusively on pace, Sabalenka mixed trajectories and spins, forcing hesitation and disrupting timing on return.

She explained that the effectiveness of the change was not necessarily about improving the serve itself, but about introducing uncertainty into Rybakina’s decision-making, especially in early rally patterns.

“We saw her changing up the second serve a little bit more, instead of hitting a deeper, flatter second serve like she did in the past. She’s now using a bit more kick at times. It’s not that it’s a better serve, but it’s the variety that makes your opponent think—do I step back, do I take it early?”

Clijsters also linked that variation to a broader objective—removing Rybakina’s ability to immediately dominate rallies from the return position, which had been a defining feature in their previous encounters. “You surprise your opponent with that, and it takes away from Rybakina’s side of the court where she can just swing freely and start dominating the rally, which is what they’re both trying to do first.”

She further noted how serve efficiency has become increasingly decisive in the women’s game, with players generating more free points and controlling exchanges within the first two shots. “The serve becomes so important. They get so many free points, and if it’s not an ace or an unreturnable, it’s the next shot that is super important.”

Clijsters placed particular emphasis on Sabalenka’s decision-making under pressure, especially during the closing stages of the Indian Wells final. Facing match point, Sabalenka opted for an aggressive backhand winner—an example Clijsters used to illustrate her mindset. “That backhand cross-court on match point just shows the mindset and confidence that you need. To go for that shot in that moment was incredible.”

She described the match as one where both players committed to aggressive intent, even at the risk of errors, framing those mistakes as a necessary by-product of high-level tennis. “There were unforced errors, but they were good mistakes because they were going for it. They weren’t hesitant.”

Clijsters also highlighted the psychological impact of such moments, noting how a single shot can shift the mental balance of a match and place additional pressure on the opponent. “That does something to your opponent mentally as well. It shows that it’s going to take a lot more than just hitting great shots to break your opponent.”

Beyond individual points, Clijsters underlined Sabalenka’s ability to maintain composure across both finals, particularly in pressure situations such as the deciding tiebreak in Indian Wells and the momentum swings in Miami.

“She stayed calm, stayed focused, and just kept things simple. She stayed locked in and didn’t think about being down—just stayed in the moment.”

She also connected this composure to Sabalenka’s response to recent setbacks, suggesting that the loss in Melbourne served as a catalyst for improvement rather than a source of doubt. “I don’t think her personality works that way. She’s a go-getter. She takes the losses and tries to be better next time.”

Clijsters concluded by framing Sabalenka’s trajectory within the broader context of elite careers, where setbacks are part of the process and long-term success depends on how players respond to them. “There’s no great career without setbacks. You learn how to deal with them mentally and physically. I don’t think she sits on losses—she attacks the next challenge.”