Aryna Sabalenka Recalls Heart-Rate Crisis and Admits She Wanted to Quit Tennis

Before becoming a multiple Grand Slam champion and establishing herself at the summit of women's tennis, Aryna Sabalenka nearly walked away from the sport entirely.

In a remarkably candid interview with TIME magazine, the World No. 1 opened up about the terrifying physical and psychological toll of her infamous 2022 serve yips—a period where extreme anxiety triggered physical panic attacks on court.

"I Couldn't Breathe Normally": The Physical Toll

During the early months of 2022, Sabalenka completely lost command of her primary weapon. The serve that once dominated opponents suddenly produced 428 double faults across a single season—leading the entire WTA Tour by a massive margin.

However, the inner physical nightmare was far worse than the statistics on paper.

"My heart rate would go so high up, and I wouldn't be able to breathe normally. I completely lost it. I had to play tennis without a serve."

— Aryna Sabalenka

Standing on the baseline, the sheer pressure of holding serve caused severe panic responses, leaving her feeling physically helpless during matches.

Facing the Noise: Considering Retirement

As media scrutiny mounted and doubts spread throughout the tennis community, Sabalenka admitted that the constant negativity almost broke her mental resolve.

"I felt like, OK, the whole world is telling me, 'That's it,'" Sabalenka recalled, admitting she genuinely contemplated hanging up her racquet.

The Biomechanics Turning Point

The dramatic transformation of her career came just before the 2022 US Open, when Sabalenka took a leap of faith by hiring biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan.

Together, they reconstructed her service motion from scratch, altering her ball toss and mechanics to alleviate the physical stress. The fix was almost instantaneous:

• Rebuilt Confidence: By early 2023, the serve yips were completely eradicated.

• Dominant Era: Since overcoming the crisis, Sabalenka has reached eight Grand Slam finals, captured four major titles, and spent over 100 weeks atop the world rankings.

A Champion Forged in Fire

Sabalenka’s willingness to speak openly about mental health struggles and physical panic shows how far she has come. What once threatened to end her career prematurely instead served as the ultimate test—shaping her into one of the most resilient and unstoppable forces in modern sports history.