Sabalenka retains US Open title
After two disappointing finishes in major finals this year, and an equally devastating loss to Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon semifinals, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka arrived here last month eager to defend her US Open crown and end her Grand Slam season with a title.
Last Saturday, again facing the American Anisimova, in front of 24,000 loud fans under the roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Sabalenka silenced the crowd, the naysayers and her self-doubt with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory in 94 minutes.
In a battle between two of the hardest hitters on tour, Sabalenka looked well on her way to victory in the second set before nerves appeared to creep in and Anisimova raised her level with her back against the wall.
Belarusian Sabalenka was twice up a break in that set and was serving for the match at 5-4. With just two points separating her from the title, she had the chance to get closer with a routine overhead smash. But instead, she hit the ball into the net. She dropped her racket in disbelief.
Sabalenka later explained that she came close to losing her cool and letting her emotions get the best of her in that moment, but instead, she took a deep breath and tried to move on.
Anisimova then won the next point and extended the match.
But after the pair split the next two games, Sabalenka was in firm control of the tiebreak. She needed three match points but clinched the victory after Anisimova's return to her serve sailed out of bounds.
Sabalenka, 27, then fell to her knees and covered her head in her hands as she sobbed in celebration while a slew of former champions, such as Billie Jean King, Tracy Austin and Andy Roddick, and A-list celebrities, including Naomi Watts, Shonda Rhimes, Breanna Stewart and Stephen Colbert, looked on.
"I think because of the finals earlier this season, this one felt different," Sabalenka said in a packed news conference, with a bottle of champagne and a pair of goggles next to her. "You know, this one felt like I had to overcome a lot of things to get this one.
With the win, she became the first woman to claim consecutive US Open titles since Serena Williams did so in 2012, '13 and '14, and was the first woman to reach three major finals in a season since Williams and Angelique Kerber did so in 2016.
Last Saturday marked Sabalenka's fourth major title, all of which have been on hard court and earned since the start of the 2023 season. She's the fifth player in the Open era to win her first four Slam titles all on the same surface.
Sabalenka also avoided becoming the first woman to lose three major finals in a season since Justine Henin in 2006.
