Sabalenka defends US Open title: Unstoppable champion!

Aryna Sabalenka Conquers the US Open and Solidifies Her Dominance in Women’s Tennis

New York – Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one, has demonstrated her resilience and talent by successfully defending her title at the US Open. After two disappointing major finals this year and a defeat in the Wimbledon semi-finals, Sabalenka arrived in New York with the aim of closing the Grand Slam season with a triumph. In an exciting final against American Amanda Anisimova, Sabalenka prevailed with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (3) in a 94-minute match, silencing critics and her own doubts before a crowd of 24,000 spectators at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The match between two of the most powerful players on the circuit kept fans on the edge of their seats. Sabalenka seemed headed for victory in the second set, but Anisimova raised her level when she was against the ropes. Sabalenka, with two breaks in her favor in that set and serving for the match at 5-4, was only two points away from the title, but an unexpected error cost her the point.

“I thought, ‘OK, this happens. It’s already in the past. Let’s focus on the next one’,” Sabalenka commented.

Aryna Sabalenka

Despite the pressure, Sabalenka remained calm and secured the victory in the tiebreak, needing three match points to secure the win after Anisimova’s backhand went out of bounds. The Belarusian tennis player knelt down and covered her face in a sign of celebration, while tennis legends and renowned celebrities witnessed the moment. With this victory, Sabalenka became the first woman to win consecutive US Open titles since Serena Williams in 2012, 2013, and 2014. In addition, she is the first woman to reach three Grand Slam finals in a season since Williams and Angelique Kerber in 2016. The triumph represents the fourth Grand Slam title for Sabalenka, all obtained on hard court since the beginning of the 2023 season. She is the fifth player in the Open era to win her first four Slam titles on the same surface. Sabalenka avoided becoming the first woman to lose three major finals in a season since Justine Henin in 2006. Anisimova, who played her second consecutive final in a major tournament, admitted that she had difficulties with her serve due to the bright lights, but praised Sabalenka’s “incredible” game. “She played very aggressively and did everything right, so she made it very difficult for me today,” said Anisimova. The season has been challenging for Sabalenka, who has held the world number one ranking since October. She lost in the Australian Open final in January and the French Open in June.

Aryna Sabalenka celebrates her victory at the US Open after defeating Amanda Anisimova and securing her second consecutive US Open title and her fourth overall Grand Slam singles trophy. After the defeat at Wimbledon, Sabalenka took some time to reflect, traveling to Greece and analyzing her approach and mentality for important matches. His team, which includes former world number one doubles player Max Mirnyi as a consultant, has worked on managing his emotions and on the importance of finding ways to win even when he is not playing his best tennis. In the trophy presentation ceremony, Sabalenka told Anisimova that she understood the pain of defeats, but that she would enjoy it even more when she finally won one. Despite the defeat, Anisimova has had a remarkable season, rising to number 4 in the world rankings. During the US Open, Anisimova had an outstanding performance, defeating Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals and Naomi Osaka in the semifinals. At the end of the match, Anisimova had 22 winners to Sabalenka’s 13, but also almost twice as many unforced errors (29 to 13). Anisimova expressed her disappointment, but expressed her hope to play in a major final again.