{"id":1802429,"date":"2026-03-02T19:30:32","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T16:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1802429"},"modified":"2026-03-02T19:30:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T16:30:32","slug":"aryna-sabalenka-scar-tissue-concerns-addressed-by-martina-navratilova-after-australian-open-final-defeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1802429","title":{"rendered":"Aryna Sabalenka &#8216;scar tissue&#8217; concerns addressed by Martina Navratilova after Australian Open final defeat"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Aryna Sabalenka \u2018scar tissue\u2019 concerns addressed by Martina Navratilova after Australian Open final defeat<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/oli-dickson-jefford\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Oli Dickson Jefford                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"02 Mar 2026 7:30 PM\" data-ps-date=\"02 Mar 2026 7:30 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1772479832\"><br \/>\n                            02 Mar 2026 7:30 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/aryna-sabalenka-scar-tissue-concerns-addressed-martina-navratilova-australian-open\" class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" aria-label=\"Share to facebook\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a 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class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Faryna-sabalenka-scar-tissue-concerns-addressed-martina-navratilova-australian-open\" aria-label=\"Share to flipboard\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a class=\"!text-share-icon hover:!text-share-icon-active flex items-center justify-center\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" aria-label=\"Follow Tennis365 on Google Search\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Aryna Sabalenka \u2018scar tissue\u2019 concerns addressed by Martina Navratilova after Australian Open final defeat\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Aryna-Sabalenka-Martina-Navratilova-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Aryna Sabalenka and Martina Navratilova.\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Grand Slam champions Aryna Sabalenka and Martina Navratilova.                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\">\n<p>Tennis icon Martina Navratilova believes Aryna Sabalenka will respond to her Grand Slam final defeats, following the Belarusian\u2019s Australian Open final loss in January.<\/p>\n<p>World No 1 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/aryna-sabalenka\">Sabalenka<\/a> was the pre-tournament favourite for the title in Melbourne and impressed during her run to the final, not dropping a set across her first six matches.<\/p>\n<p>However, her dreams of a fifth major singles title were dashed by Elena Rybakina in the championship match, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/aryna-sabalenka-reveals-one-regret-australian-open-final-loss-elena-rybakina\">with the Kazakh rallying from 3-0 down in the deciding set to claim an impressive 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Sabalenka is the winner of four Grand Slam singles crowns, having lifted the Australian Open title in 2023 and 2024, and the US Open title in 2024 and 2025.<\/p>\n<p>However, the 27-year-old has now lost three of her last four Slam finals, with a once-positive 3-1 record in major finals now level at 4-4.<\/p>\n<p>The Belarusian defeated Amanda Anisimova to lift the US Open title last September,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/news\/coco-gauff-ends-aryna-sabalenkas-grand-slam-streak-third-american-woman-win-french-open\"> though she had lost to Coco Gauff in the French Open final just three months before<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Sabalenka has now lost back-to-back Australian Open finals, with a defeat to Rybakina this year following on from a loss to Madison Keys in the 2025 final.<\/p>\n<p>Few players know as much as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/martina-navratilova\">Navratilova<\/a> when it comes to reaching a Grand Slam final, with the tennis great winning 18 of her 32 major singles finals.<\/p>\n<h2>Tennis News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/indian-wells-2026-aryna-sabalenka-elena-rybakina-prediction-martina-navratilova\">Sabalenka, Rybakina, Swiatek, Gauff? Martina Navratilova predicts Indian Wells winner<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/serena-williams-comeback-former-british-star-makes-lavish-claim-over-what-she-can-achieve\">Serena Williams comeback: Former British star makes lavish claim over what she can achieve<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Speaking to the <a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wtatennis.com\/news\/4460105\/sunshine-double-preview-navratilova-sizes-up-sabalenka-swiatek-and-the-teenage-surge\" target=\"_blank\"><em>WTA Tour<\/em><\/a> this week, the 69-year-old claimed there were positives and negatives about Sabalenka\u2019s current run.<\/p>\n<p>Navratilova said: \u201cShe played so well getting to the AO final, winning tough matches. Kept it together, but she was not nearly near her best.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe good news is that she\u2019s getting to Grand Slam finals \u2014 five of the past six. The bad news is that she\u2019s lost three of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sabalenka\u2019s ability to bounce back from tough losses and tough moments on court has often been praised, particularly in regard to her service struggles during a challenging 2022 season.<\/p>\n<p>While Navratilova believes that scar tissue could be a concern for Sabalenka, she also believes that the Belarusian is more than capable of flipping a switch and claiming more Grand Slam titles in the future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a tough one to get over because you can deal with it \u2014 until you get there again,\u201d added the former world No 1.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you get into that situation, the body kind of does its own thing. And you don\u2019t know what to do. You feel like you\u2019re outside of your body looking down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s so easy to develop scar tissue, considering it\u2019s the biggest stage. The whole world is watching, which magnifies it so much more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sure she can deal with it. For me, looking back, the way she fixed her serve and fixed herself speaks volumes. So I\u2019m thinking she\u2019s going to figure it out and learn how to manage it better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sabalenka has not been in action since the Australian Open, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/aryna-sabalenka-iga-swiatek-withdraw-wta-dubai-championships-2026\">with the world No 1 choosing to withdraw from both the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships in February<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Having won the Brisbane International and reached the Australian Open final so far in 2026, Sabalenka will be the top seed and among the leading contenders when she returns to action at Indian Wells this week.<\/p>\n<p>Indian Wells is one of the most prestigious events on the WTA Tour calendar and is one of the biggest titles Sabalenka has yet to win, having twice finished as the tournament runner-up.<\/p>\n<p>She was beaten by Rybakina in the 2023 final, before a three-set loss to Mirra Andreeva last March.<\/p>\n<p>Main draw action in Indian Wells starts this Wednesday (March 4), with Sabalenka set to start her campaign on Friday or Saturday.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as <a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Read Next<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/wta-indian-wells-2026-ranking-points-prize-money-breakdown\">WTA Indian Wells 2026: Prize money and ranking points revealed as Sabalenka, Swiatek, Rybakina, Gauff star<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"kwizly-quiz kwizly-eEDrkX\" data-nosnippet=\"\" data-quiz-type=\"poll|mpu\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aryna Sabalenka \u2018scar tissue\u2019 concerns addressed by Martina Navratilova after Australian Open final defeat Oli Dickson Jefford 02 Mar 2026 7:30 PM Grand Slam champions Aryna Sabalenka and Martina Navratilova. Tennis icon Martina Navratilova believes Aryna Sabalenka will respond to her Grand Slam final defeats, following the Belarusian\u2019s Australian Open final loss in January. World [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-1802429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1802429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1802429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1802429\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1802429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1802429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1802429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}