A quick dive into one key statistic that helps us look at the World No. 1’s loss to Elena Rybakina (4–6, 3–6) from a different angle.

One of the standout matches in the early rounds of the Cincinnati women’s event was Aryna Sabalenka’s win over Marketa Vondrousova (6–3, 7–5), where the Belarusian saved 12 break points with a flawless 100% record — a detail that caught our attention.

Saved break points measure how often a player manages to hold serve under break-point pressure. Strong numbers here usually reflect a reliable first serve, smart point construction in tense moments, and the mental toughness to stay composed when the stakes are highest.

After Sabalenka’s impressive win over Vondrousova, we looked at how this metric stacks up across the women’s Top 10 since the start of 2025 (percentage of break points saved). The numbers were as follows:

• Sabalenka — 63.5%
• Coco Gauff — 53.9%
• Iga Swiatek — 58.2%
• Jessica Pegula — 59.8%
• Mirra Andreeva — 62.1%
• Madison Keys — 59.4%
• Zheng Qinwen — 50.0%
• Amanda Anisimova — 59.8%
• Jasmine Paolini — 51.9%
• Elena Rybakina — 64.8%

As expected, all top players post strong figures in this area. Sabalenka outperforms nearly everyone — except Rybakina.

When the two met in Cincinnati, however, the script flipped. Sabalenka saved only 2 of 5 break points (40%), while Rybakina confirmed her leading status by saving all 5 she faced (100%).

Of course, this factor alone did not decide the match — analysts could easily point to a couple of more decisive elements. But it certainly played a role and is intriguing enough to deserve attention.

Cover image: Sabalenka and Rybakina. Collage by Racket One, original photos from Depositphotos

---