NEW YORK — If there is a defining quote from Aryna Sabalenka this year — her first since 2022 without winning a Grand Slam tournament — it comes from a BBC interview done in her haste to rush out of Wimbledon following a stinging fourth-round loss to Naomi Osaka.When asked about the players who had knocked her out of tournaments earlier than expected this year, Sabalenka, in an attempted gesture at diplomacy, congratulated them. She then added, “Let’s see if they can do it consistently.”It was a delicious line from a four-time Grand Slam champion, and it was the truth. Sabalenka knows better than most the challenge of life at the tippy top of women’s tennis, a sport that churns out (and churns up) young, hungry champions and demands singular focus and dedication for 11 months out of the year. Arriving at the top is just the beginning.The 28-year-old from Belarus was often referred to as “a good world No. 1” back when she occupied that top ranking, which newly minted U.S. Open champion Elena Rybakina will take over on Monday.It’s a slightly condescending, yet common compliment given to a player (usually only the women’s No. 1) who does what she’s supposed to with the top spot: avoid losing to lower-ranked players, make semifinals and finals, win Grand Slam trophies, repeat.Sabalenka did that and more. She elevated the tenacious power game that got her to the top of the sport, working on her comfort at net and adding touch and variety.(Sarah Stier / Getty Images)Her on-court ledger for the year includes the finals of the Australian Open and wins in big tournaments in Indian Wells, Calif., and Miami. She was raking in new endorsement deals with the type of luxury brands that she had long coveted and but previously been ignored by. She got engaged. She got a dog.