GFacing an American player in a late match at the US Open is always a challenge, and Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 2 tennis player from Belarus, knows that only too well.
A year ago, when she faced Coco Gauff in the US Open final, Sabalenka found the loud, pro-Gauff atmosphere in New York City getting on Sabalenka’s nerves. The noise, she said before today’s final against another American, world No. 6 Jessica Pegula, “clogged my ears. It was such a lot of pressure.”
This time, she did not let the support for Pegula bother her, but tried to accept her status as a spoilsport. After a thrilling first set, which was tied at 5:5, Sabalenka turned the tables and, after winning a point, raised her arms in the air as if to say: “Hey, to all you so-called tennis fans, how about a little love for me?”
Sabalenka received a brief roar of praise. Then the fans cheered for Pegula again.
In the end, that wasn’t enough. Sabalenka defeated Pegula in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5, to win her first US Open title and the third major title of her career (she is the reigning Australian Open champion in back-to-back matches). Stars such as Stephen Curry, Laverne Cox, Lewis Hamilton, Flavor Flav, Noah Lyles, Maggie Gyllenhal and John Krasinski were all in attendance at the event on Saturday afternoon.
The win is especially sweet for Sabalenka this year considering how close she came to winning in New York City last season and the fact that she has endured a difficult period in 2024 in which she has struggled with injuries and personal losses.
In March, her ex-boyfriend, Belarusian professional hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, died in Miami Beach. Police ruled his death a suicide. Sabalenka was in South Florida at the Miami Open at the time and commented: “I am heartbroken.”
A gastrointestinal virus contributed to the end of her French Open and a shoulder injury prevented her from participating in Wimbledon. In an article published in The Guardian In August, Sabalenka said she wished she had taken a break after Koltsov’s death. “It was very emotional and very stressful and kind of damaging to my mental health at that point,” she said. “In the end, I paid for my decision.”
In Saturday’s final, Sabalenka showed all the qualities that make her one of the most compelling players in the world. She’s fearless and often goes for the big power shot when a softer shot would do: if she misses, she just comes back and tries again. She’s fun to watch; her shots are consistent with each shot, and one on Saturday was so loud and discordant that the fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium all kind of giggled.
When she was told after her quarterfinal victory that she would face another American, Emma Navarro, in the semifinals, she was asked on court what she would do to garner support.
“The drinks are on me tonight?” Sabalenka replied.
She is an unpredictable rollercoaster who slammed her racket down the court four times – bam, bam, bam, bam, bam – after an untimely double fault in the first set’s 5-5 game. That error gave Pegula a break point and a chance to steal the set. Sabalenka could have crumbled. Instead, she held on to the 14-point back-and-forth match and broke Pegula to win the set.
In the second set, Sabalenka stayed true to her style. Pegula took a break to lead and served at 5-4 to extend the match. But Sabalenka played a beautiful first point, charging toward the net to chase down a difficult drop shot from Pegula, then hitting a jumping backhand volley that Pegula couldn’t handle. Sabalenka moved with mojo, and that opening momentum set the tone for the match. Sabalenka toyed with the fans after winning the second point, waving her hands to make more noise. She broke Pegula with a nasty forehand winner – her average topspin forehand speed is faster than some of the world’s best male players – and then waved for the fans to stand. Sabalenka’s triumph now seemed assured.
And indeed, she finished the job, holding her serve and then hitting a slow ball on her second championship point that Pegula hit way back. Sabalenka collapsed on her back on the hard court of Arthur Ashe Stadium and covered her face with her hands. Afterward, she repeatedly described the US Open trophy as “beautiful” – winning it was a lifelong dream.
For now, Sabalenka is the best hard court player in the world. After she won the match and held the trophy aloft in Arthur Ashe Stadium, cheers broke out. This time, the cheers lasted a long time. And they will almost certainly come again.
