Playing her first match since defending the Australian Open title, Aryna Sabalenka squandered a set and 2-0 lead and suffered a surprising defeat in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at the hands of Donna Vekic, 6-7(5) 6-3 6-0.
Tuesday’s match started well for Sabalenka, who took a commanding 5-3 lead in the first set before Vekic mounted a comeback to force a tiebreaker. Sabalenka managed to secure the set but couldn’t maintain her momentum.
Reflecting on her mindset early in the match, Vekic admitted that she had already pictured herself on the beach.