Aryna Sabalenka has made a big improvement that should worry her WTA rivals, according to Rennae Stubbs.
Sabalenka is currently ranked number one on the WTA Tour, and has just reached the semifinals of Indian Wells.
She entered the tournament in California with an 11-1 record for the 2026 season, clinching the Brisbane title before losing in the final of the Australian Open.
Sabalenka has now drawn praise from former doubles player Stubbs, who has highlighted the big improvement she has made with her net game.
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Issuing a warning to the rest of the WTA players, Stubbs said on her podcast: “I tell you where she is improving and look out everybody, it’s her net game.
“Max Mirnyi has added this willingness and want to finish balls at the net. I just think that is such a smart move if she keeps implementing that into her game.
“I spoke to Max at the Australian Open about it a little bit and he was like she’s willing to do it and put the effort in and change it up.
“There is nothing better than a great player, adding. Not just staying at the same level.
“Justine Henin was like that back in her day, I remember watching her back in her day after winning a Grand Slam and adding serve and volleying into her game, and she would do it for an hour. I love that aspect for her.”
Sabalenka added Mirnyi to her team last summer, with the latter having won 10 Grand Slam doubles titles during his career.
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Aryna Sabalenka’s fantastic doubles career
With a hugely successful career in doubles and mixed doubles, Mirnyi is certainly well-versed in playing at the net, and thus represents a superb mentor for Sabalenka in that key area of the game.
But it’s easy to forget that Sabalenka herself boasts a fantastic track record in the format, alongside her singles success.
In fact, she clinched two Grand Slam doubles titles in 2019 and 2021, before all four of her Grand Slam singles titles.
| Result | Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Win | 2019 | US Open | Elise Mertens | Victoria Azarenka, Ashleigh Barty | 7–5, 7–5 |
| Win | 2021 | Australian Open | Elise Mertens | Barbora Krejcikova, Katerina Siniakova | 6–2, 6–3 |
Playing just once this year with Paula Badosa in Brisbane, her WTA doubles rank has fallen all the way down to 612.
But she has previously managed to climb all the way to world number one in the format, in which she boasts six titles overall.
The majority of her doubles success has come alongside Elise Mertens, but she has also tasted success playing with WTA legend Victoria Azarenka.
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