Tennis: Aryna Sabalenka celebrates her first triumph at the US Open

Aryna Sabalenka cried in the stands in her boyfriend’s arms and repeatedly hit the lucky lion tattoo on her coach’s bald head. The Belarusian celebrated her first US Open title with great emotion – and in the moment of triumph she also thought emotionally about her own personal fate.

In memory of the father

“After losing my father, it was always my goal to write our family names in the history books of tennis,” said the 26-year-old after the 7:5, 7:5 thriller against American Jessica Pegula. “Every time I see my name on this trophy, I am so proud of myself, so proud of my family, that I never gave up on my dream.”

Her father died when Sabalenka was 21. I had promised her that she would win two Grand Slams before she turned 25. Now the two-time Australian Open winner was celebrating title number three with the longed-for silver trophy from the US Open in her arms. A year ago, she left the US Open in tears of disappointment after losing in the final to US crowd favorite Coco Gauff.

Nerve fluttering on both sides

Sabalenka was as aggressive as ever in the final. With her powerful tennis, the 1.82 meter tall Belarusian dominated the rallies, scored many points with direct winners and repeatedly went to the net successfully. But since she also made 34 minor errors, Sabalenka was once again in trouble despite a 3-0 lead in the second set. Suddenly memories of 2023 came back, when she had thrown away a set lead and thus the title in the final.

But in her first Grand Slam final, Pegula’s nerves also frayed – after the 5:3, she lost the next four games and the match. “She played great tennis in the big moments,” she praised her opponent and joked: “I wish she had only let me win one set.”

Unlike in 2023, however, Sabalenka withstood the pressure of the audience. Numerous prominent guests, such as Formula 1 record world champion Lewis Hamilton, Olympic sprint champion Noah Lyles and basketball superstar Stephen Curry, watched the match from the stands. The fans keep urging the American outsider on. “In the second set, I was just praying,” Sabalenka reported. Now it’s time to celebrate: “We’ll probably drink a lot,” Sabalenka said of the plan for the party afterwards.