{"id":2045128,"date":"2026-07-15T17:55:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2045128"},"modified":"2026-07-15T17:55:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:55:58","slug":"aryna-sabalenka-told-she-is-going-to-have-to-start-proving-herself-by-jimmy-connors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2045128","title":{"rendered":"Aryna Sabalenka told she is &#8216;going to have to start proving herself&#8217; by Jimmy Connors"},"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 told she is \u2018going to have to start proving herself\u2019 by Jimmy Connors<\/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\/ewan-west\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Ewan West                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"15 Jul 2026 6:55 PM\" data-ps-date=\"15 Jul 2026 6:55 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1784138158\"><br \/>\n                            15 Jul 2026 6:55 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                       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                   <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" 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 told she is \u2018going to have to start proving herself\u2019 by Jimmy Connors\"><\/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\/07\/Jimmy-Connors-Aryna-Sabalenka-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Jimmy Connors and Aryna Sabalenka\">                <\/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                                Aryna Sabalenka with Jimmy Connors inset                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p>Tennis great Jimmy Connors has asserted that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/aryna-sabalenka\">Aryna Sabalenka<\/a> \u201cis going to have to start proving herself\u201d after the Belarusian\u2019s fourth round exit at Wimbledon.<\/p>\n<p>Sabalenka\u2019s bid to win her maiden Wimbledon title at the 2026 edition of the Championships ended with a surprise 2-6, 6-7(2) loss to No 14 seed Naomi Osaka.<\/p>\n<p>Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament where Sabalenka is yet to reach the final, and it is her least successful major by win percentage (73%).<\/p>\n<p>The world No 1\u2019s last 16 exit in London was her earliest defeat at a Grand Slam since the 2022 French Open, ending her streak of reaching the quarter-finals or better at 14 consecutive majors.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/aryna-sabalenka\">Sabalenka<\/a> has occupied top spot in the WTA Rankings for 91 straight weeks, but she has won just one of the last seven Grand Slams: the 2025 US Open.<\/p>\n<p>The 28-year-old is a four-time Grand Slam champion, and she has also lost in four major championship matches.<\/p>\n<p>Sabalenka\u2019s Wimbledon exit followed her shock collapse at Roland Garros, where she lost 12 of the last 13 games in her quarter-final defeat to Diana Shnaider after leading 6-3, 4-1.<\/p>\n<h2>WTA Tour News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/aryna-sabalenka-wimbledon-sabine-lisicki-exclusive-interview\"><strong>Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s struggles met with alternative view by ex-Wimbledon finalist<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/wta-rankings-points-sabalenka-rybakina-swiatek-gauff-raducanu-eala-drop-north-american-swing\"><strong>WTA Rankings: Points Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, Raducanu, Eala will drop during North American swing<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" 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>Speaking on his Advantage Connors podcast, Connors expressed confusion when discussing Sabalenka\u2019s latest Grand Slam setback.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSabalenka is going to have to start proving herself, to me, now,\u201d said Connors, and eight-time major winner and former world No 1.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know what to say now about her. We\u2019ve talked about her for so long and she\u2019s got us on this rollercoaster ride\u2026 the ups and the downs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause we know she\u2019s got the game, she has proven that, the way she plays. I mean, I would like to have an answer. I just don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In her press conference after her Wimbledon exit, Sabalenka was asked if she felt like the No 1 player in the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, this question, guys. I mean, let\u2019s just look at the ranking. Right now, I\u2019m world No 1,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLevel-wise, today I wasn\u2019t world No 1. Yesterday I was world No 1. I feel like I just, you know, I don\u2019t even want to think about ranking at this point.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just want to go, get completely drunk, forget about tennis, and try to get in better shape (smiling).\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NEXT: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/wta-rankings-race-to-riyadh-mirra-andreeva-no-1-iga-swiatek-12th\">WTA Rankings Race: Andreeva still No 1 as Muchova, Noskova soar &amp; Swiatek drops to 12th<\/a><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aryna Sabalenka told she is \u2018going to have to start proving herself\u2019 by Jimmy Connors Ewan West 15 Jul 2026 6:55 PM Aryna Sabalenka with Jimmy Connors inset Tennis great Jimmy Connors has asserted that Aryna Sabalenka \u201cis going to have to start proving herself\u201d after the Belarusian\u2019s fourth round exit at Wimbledon. Sabalenka\u2019s bid [&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-2045128","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\/2045128","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=2045128"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2045128\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2045128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2045128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2045128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}