How Sabalenka could lose No 1 ranking at US Open

All was bright in Aryna Sabalenka's world when she completed a rare 'Sunshine Double' earlier this season.

Becoming only the fifth woman to win the Indian Wells and Miami titles back-to-back, Sabalenka emphasised her position as the dominant player on the WTA Tour and created a 3,000-point lead at the top of the world rankings.

But a difficult period quickly followed - seemingly out of nowhere - leaving the 28-year-old Belarusian clinging on to her position going into the US Open, which starts on Sunday.

Two-time defending champion Sabalenka returns to New York with a 17-7 win-loss record since the Miami triumph, including a chastening French Open quarter-final exit and a disheartening defeat in the Wimbledon fourth round.

It is a record far below the four-time major winner's lofty standards.

With 2,000 points to defend at Flushing Meadows and Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina now trailing by only 434, Sabalenka must win again to extend her 99-week run as the world number one.

Asked if she felt confident she can rediscover her mojo on the hard courts on which she has thrived, Sabalenka said: "Absolutely. These tough lessons are definitely going to make me way, way stronger and working even harder."

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