Aryna Sabalenka completed a rare hard-court double with her victory at Flushing Meadows. She triumphed at both the Australian Open and the US Open, becoming only the second woman in 27 years to conquer both majors in the same year.
She has become almost unbeatable on American hard courts in recent weeks, with a 16-2 record and a superb 12-match winning streak.
During the New York Grand Slam, her winning mentality was clearly visible, demonstrated by Aryna's conditioning coach Jason Stacy with a tattoo on the top of his head. "I was born in the year of the tiger. I would like to take tigers for a walk someday to touch them, to feel them."
Sabalenka explained her admiration for the animal during an interview with Tennis Channel. Indeed, the Belarusian player symbolises many of the qualities that the tiger possesses: determination, courage, confidence and charm.
And above all, the desire to hunt for prey. She won the seven matches in New York mainly thanks to her dominant game and her crushing forehand.
Key moments
Aryna Sabalenka vs Ekaterina Alexandrova 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
An unexpected complication came in the third round. Alexandrova remembered the previous meetings in which she managed to beat Sabalenka three times out of seven, and with her specific and precise game, she troubled her opponent once again.
After winning the first set, she had two more break points at the beginning of the second set. "I was just trying to return as many balls as possible, she was playing so well," admitted Sabalenka. But when Alexandrova failed to convert those opportunities, the Belarusian's comeback began in spectacular fashion.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Emma Navarro 6-3, 7-6
Navarro worked hard in her maiden Grand Slam semi-final and really didn't give Sabalenka anything for free. But the second seed was just too good. The drama came at the very end, when Navarro didn't let the Belarusian close out the match at 5-3, instead taking the set to a tiebreak with the support of the stands.
In the tiebreak, she got a mini-break, led 2-0, but the last seven points belonged to Sabalenka. "Even though sometimes things don't go as they should, I still do the right things and stay calm. I'm actually really proud of myself for getting to the point where I'm in control of my emotions," she said after reaching the final.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5
A match full of twists and turns was eventually won by the stronger player. Sabalenka was the first to lose her serve, but soon she was leading 5-2. The Belarusian then had to fight again and fought off a break point at 5-5. She converted a fifth set point in the long 12th game on Pegula's serve to wrap up the opener.
The American was down 0-3 in the second set, but turned it around impressively to 5-3. However, once again, Sabalenka's mentality kicked in. The Minsk native won the last four games and didn't let the trophy slip away. But she admitted her fears. "In the second set I was just praying... You played so well, Jessica! I'm sure you'll see the Grand Slam one day," she told her opponent.
Important numbers
129 km/h
That is the average speed at which balls fly from the Belarusian's topspin forehand to her opponents. In fact, her forehand is faster than all of the top male players, with Alcaraz, Djokovic and Sinner all slower.
476
Thanks to her dominant play from the baseline, Sabalenka became the player with the most winners at the Grand Slam tournaments this year, just one ahead of two-time major finalist Jasmine Paolini. It should be added that the Belarusian was forced to miss Wimbledon with injury. She also has the most Grand Slam wins this year - 18.
Sabalenka's triumph in New York looks very logical given the form she has enjoyed in 2024. However, she has had to deal with a lot of difficult moments in her head as well. It wasn't just the shoulder injury in June that caused her to miss the grass-court action at Wimbledon.
During March, her ex-boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov committed suicide. And although the tennis player confirmed that they were no longer a couple at that point, it must have been a severe psychological blow. It was the second death in her close vicinity in five years. In 2019, her father succumbed to meningitis.
But it was tennis that managed to steer Sabalenka's thoughts into a positive direction. "When I lost my dad, I made it my goal to write our family's name in tennis history. Seeing my name on a trophy again makes me proud of my family and that I didn't give up on my dream," she said after defending the US Open this year.
