Sabalenka was ranked world No. 1 this week after an outstanding season, but was frustrated, error-prone and irritable throughout her performance against Gauff.
Her forehand, a very important component of her game, faltered as she made 16 unforced errors in the first set.
She and Gauff traded breaks early on, but Gauff was composed on her serve and was able to extend the rally knowing that Sabalenka would eventually make an error.
Despite the chaos, Sabalenka held serve for the set, leading 6-5, but a net backhand forced the match into a tiebreak, giving Gauff the upper hand.
After a long bathroom break, Sabalenka started the second set better, but another backhand miss forced Gauff into an early break.
Gauff took a 4-1 lead for four straight games before Sabalenka eventually recovered one of the breaks. But it took eight break points to do it after a huge Gauff service game.
Given the erratic nature of the match, it felt inevitable that Sabalenka’s serve would be broken in the next game, as was Gauff’s serve being broken when she did so for the match at 5–2.
But Sabalenka couldn’t delay the inevitable even on serve, and a last-minute backhand to the net – her 37th unforced error – ensured Gauff’s victory.
