Jelena Dokic has given an insight into the subtle changes Aryna Sabalenka has made to her serve, and how she has made it to the Australian Open final.
Sabalenka had massive issues with her serve throughout 2022 – making a whopping 428 double faults in 55 games last year.
At the end of the season, she dubbed herself the “Queen of Double Faults”.
On Nine’s coverage of the Australian Open, Dokic said improvements to her serve are the reason she has made the final.
“She had so many issues with that serve last year here, but now she’s one of the biggest and the best servers on the tour,” she said.
Dokic explained the changes Sabalenka made were many, but subtle. Her left arm is higher and doesn’t collapse, her right arm doesn’t tuck into her side, her ball toss is more to the left, which means she has more options with where she can hit.
As a result, Sabalenka is winning 75 per cent of first serves at this Open.
Against Rybakina, Sabalenka is 3-0. Their three meetings have all needed a third set. They last met at Wimbledon in 2021.
Rybakina, too, has one of the biggest serves in the WTA.
In that Wimbledon meeting, Sabalenka was standing some three metres behind the baseline on Rybakina’s serve. Dokic said that was key to winning that day, but the slower Rod Laver Arena surface means that’s unlikely to work here.
“Here, she has not gone any further back than half a metre behind the baseline, no matter who she’s played,” she said.
“At Wimbledon, when she did beat Rybakina, she made 76 per cent of her returns off the first serve, that is a big number.”
Rybakina and Sabalenka will face off at 7.30pm.
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