Aryna Sabalenka had to be convinced she could win on clay—now she’s in the Roland Garros final

PARIS, France—Once written off by critics and coaches as just another hard-court power-hitter, Aryna Sabalenka has redefined her game—and her mindset—to become a true all-surface threat.

Now world No. 1, Sabalenka is preparing for her first Roland Garros final, where she’ll face Coco Gauff after a stunning semifinal victory over four-time champion Iga Swiatek, 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0.

According to Sabalenka, her rise on clay is something few—especially her childhood coaches—ever saw coming.

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“I’ve always been quite motivated and they didn’t have to push me,” Sabalenka said earlier in the tournament. “But I have heard a lot saying I’m not smart enough, that I’m stupid, and I’ll never make it, and I don’t have anything to make it to the top…

"I was just laughing and saying, ‘We’ll see.’”

After years of internalizing those negative messages, Sabalenka’s current coaching team—led by Anton Dubrov and Jason Stacy—knew they’d need to shift her perspective before they could boost her results.

She had this sort of belief about herself that, ‘Okay, clay is not for me.’ Then we’re, like, But why not?

“I think the biggest obstacle initially was just that her whole life previous, before we started helping her out, was just, ‘Oh, clay is not going to be for you, you can’t do it, you can’t do it,’” Stacy said in a pre-final press conference.

“So she had this sort of belief about herself that, ‘Okay, clay is not for me.’ Then we’re, like, But why not?”

Belief had to be built—alongside a game that could thrive on the surface.

Once Sabalenka’s longtime hitting partner, Dubrov took over from Dimitry Tursunov as her head coach in 2020. Before that, she had made only one clay-court final. Within a year of the coaching change, she captured her first title on the surface at the 2021 Madrid Open, a WTA 1000 tournament.

“First it was kind of believing that she can do it, first of all. So we have to show her the way how she needs to do it,” Dubrov explained in Paris. “Then, it was more about the patience to keep doing it and trust the process that she’s actually able to fight on this surface and then get some wins.”

That process has been the theme Sabalenka’s career transformation. When she first emerged on tour, she was often lumped in with other tall, Eastern European players known for power more than precision. As she gained experience, the critiques evolved:

She’s a player with big weapons, but no week-in, week-out consistency.

She can win at WTA events, but she can’t perform at the Grand Slams.

She can beat anyone on hard courts, but not on clay.

Now, with three clay-court titles—all at the WTA 1000-level Madrid Open—and a 17-2 record on the surface this season, Sabalenka has flipped the final narrative against her.

Read More: Aryna Sabalenka ends Iga Swiatek’s three-year reign as Roland Garros champion

“The goal always has been, whether it’s mental, physical, tactical, technical, is that we understand what her limiting factors might be for what we’re trying to achieve,” Stacy said.

“We see where she’s at now, and we want to make sure that whatever level she’s at, she owns that level. As she’s fine-tuning and really owning that level, we’re already looking at that two or three things that might be the next priority.”

Those additions are showing. The once 'one-dimensional' Sabalenka now mixes in drop shots, slices, and net approaches alongside her trademark power from the baseline. And when it comes to making a statement on clay, there’s none bigger than taking out former No. 1 Swiatek—her biggest rival and the three-time defending champion in Paris—in the semifinals.

Sabalenka will now face Gauff in Saturday’s final for a shot at her first Grand Slam title on clay.

“We’re not trying to make her something she’s not,” Stacy said. “Like Anton said, everything we’ve done, the people we bring in, how we work, it’s all based on her personality, how she feels alive and connected and supported. It’s very important that we have to be ourselves the whole time.”

For Team Sabalenka, the focus now is staying relaxed and locking in. Dubrov and Stacy are keeping her routine consistent—the same pre-match rituals, same mindset—as if it were just “round one at some random tournament.” They regularly join in on her signature TikTok dance videos.

“She is relentless with the dancing!” Stacy laughed.

And those former coaches who once doubted her?

“I guess I want to send a quick message to them to quit their job,” Sabalenka said with a grin. “Honestly, I think they know nothing. They better quit just to save other players!”