Aryna Sabalenka captured her first US Open title on Saturday, defeating world No. 6 Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in a hard-fought final.
The 26-year-old from Belarus added this victory to her two consecutive Australian Open titles, marking her third Grand Slam triumph in just two years.
Sabalenka’s father’s influence
Sabalenka, who came into the match riding an 11-game winning streak, dominated the tournament with her signature power game.
She hit 40 winners, bringing her total for the competition to an impressive 205.
Her powerful serve, clocking at 191.5 km/h (119 mph), played a pivotal role in the match.
While Sabalenka’s rise to the top of tennis has been remarkable, her journey has been shaped by personal tragedy.
Five years ago, her father, Sergiy, passed away at the age of 43 from meningitis.
His untimely death deeply impacted Sabalenka, and she has been open about how his memory continues to fuel her ambition.
“After I lost my father, it’s always been my goal to put our family name in the history of tennis,”Sabalenka said after her win.
Sabalenka’s father, an ice hockey player in Belarus, inadvertently introduced her to tennis when she was a child.
Reflecting on how her tennis career began, she said, “One day, my dad was just driving me somewhere in the car, and on the way he saw tennis courts. So, he took me to the courts. I really liked it and enjoyed it, and that’s how it was.”
Sabalenka lost her boyfriend in March
This year has been particularly challenging for Sabalenka, as she also mourned the loss of her former boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, a professional hockey player who died by suicide in March at the age of 42.
Despite these personal struggles, Sabalenka found the strength to keep competing at the highest level, reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open and now claiming the US Open title.
“Every time I see my name on that trophy, I’m so proud of myself,”Sabalenka reflected after her victory.
“I’m proud of my family that they never gave up on my dream, and that they were doing everything they could to keep me going. So, it really means a lot.”
Though her focus remains on her game, Sabalenka also has her sights set on reaching the world No. 1 ranking again, a position currently held by Iga Swiatek.
“I’m not trying to focus on ranking,”Sabalenka said, “I’m just trying to focus on myself… on improving myself as a player and as a person.”
With her dominant hard-court performances and an unyielding drive to make her family proud, Sabalenka is poised to continue her ascent in the tennis world, setting her sights on future Grand Slam victories.
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