Sabalenka overcomes American 6-3, 7-6 (3)
World No 1 clinches fourth grand slam title
After such a bittersweet season filled with near-misses and heartbreak at the final hurdle, Aryna Sabalenka returned to the US Open final with one final chance to win the grand slam title she felt she was owed.
Such an occasion could have been the source of more anxiety and stress, another reason for her to fall apart, but Sabalenka’s increasingly legendary career has been driven by her ability to learn from her losses, no matter how painful they are. This time, the No 1’s nerves perfectly held up under pressure as she maintained her composure during a late surge from Amanda Anisimova before closing her US Open title defence with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win.
As the best player in the world at the peak of her powers, Sabalenka continues to establish herself as one of the greatest players of the 21st century. She has now won four grand slam titles, drawing level with Kim Clijsters, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Naomi Osaka and Hana Mandlikova. Sabalenka has established an era of dominance on hard courts, earning her four major titles with an equal share of victories at the Australian and US Open. She has now also reached six consecutive grand slam finals on hard courts.
