Nadia Petrova: Aryna Sabalenka has a chance to achieve Calendar Grand Slam

Sabalenka, 27, has already established herself as one of the dominant forces in the women's game. She became a Grand Slam champion at the 2023 Australian Open before adding her first US Open title later that year.

Having risen to world No. 1, she successfully defended her Australian Open crown at Melbourne Park in 2024 and continued to build her major tally with a second US Open triumph in 2025.

The 2025 season, however, was not without disappointment. Sabalenka lost finals at both the Australian Open in Melbourne and the French Open in Paris, narrowly missing out on completing a remarkable year.

She has reached the French Open final and finished runner-up, coming close to lifting the trophy on more than one occasion, while her last three Wimbledon appearances have all ended at the semifinal stage, including another last-four exit in 2025.

Petrova, herself a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist during her playing career, believes those setbacks could ultimately strengthen Sabalenka's resolve.

She feels the Belarusian will learn valuable lessons from her defeats in Melbourne and Paris and channel that experience into future success.

"She has every opportunity to win this Calendar Slam. She's been very confident this season," said Petrova, via Championat.

"Yes, there were moments where she stumbled, you could say, right at the finish line. But she'll learn from them, become more experienced, stronger.

"Perhaps she'll be more relaxed about different situations on the court, less stressed out, so that these emotions don't get in the way.

"She's certainly gained tremendous confidence this season. I think Aryna will start next year with that confidence as well."

Looking ahead, Petrova suggested Sabalenka could target a Calendar Grand Slam in 2026. To complete the feat, Sabalenka would need to win the first three Majors of the year following her 2025 US Open victory. 

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