On Saturday (September 6), Aryna Sabalenka received her second-consecutive US Open title. After her triumph, the Belarusian spoke to media at size, highlighting the moments within the finals the place she virtually misplaced management, making a candid admission about her psychological well being, and opening up concerning the mindset that value her titles earlier this 12 months.
Sabalenka arrived in New York because the defending champion and a two-time US Open finalist. Because the reigning World No.1 and a maestro on laborious courts, the 27-year-old was a entrance runner to carry the trophy. According to expectations, she dominated in her early matches, making all of it the best way to the semifinals earlier than dropping a set.
On finals day, Aryna Sabalenka confronted off in opposition to dwelling participant Amanda Anisimova. The duo engaged in a detailed fought battle, buying and selling blows forwards and backwards earlier than Anisimova faltered and the Belarusian emerged victorious 6-3, 7-6(3). After the match, Sabalenka admitted that there have been two moments throughout the evening when she was on the point of dropping management of her feelings, saying in her press convention,
“On this match, within the first set when she broke me again, after which on the finish of the second set when she broke me again, there was like two moments the place I used to be actually near lose management. However at that second, I advised myself ‘no, it is not going to occur, it is completely okay’. You count on within the last that the participant is gonna struggle again and can do her greatest to get the win. So I used to be simply attempting to focus one step at a time.”
Reflecting on her feelings, Aryna Sabalenka additionally opened up about her psychological well being and her work with a psychologist. The World No.1 shared that she’d skilled with a psychologist for just a few years earlier than realising that that she was counting on the psychological well being skilled an excessive amount of, saying,
“Properly, psychological well being, it is essential, and I have been working with psychologists for 4 or 5 years, and she or he helped me quite a bit in the beginning. However then sooner or later, I spotted that I used to be counting on her a lot. I assumed that she has to repair me. And so I wasn’t actually taking accountability over my actions. So sooner or later I made a decision, okay, I’ve to take accountability and I’ve to determine it on my own. And I feel it really labored rather well. And I feel that was the fitting transfer for me.”
Sabalenka shared that taking accountability for her feelings had helped her perceive herself higher, a key side that helps her keep calm below strain. The tennis star additionally emphasised that she wasn’t in opposition to taking assist sooner or later if she felt the necessity for it.
Aryna Sabalenka displays on overcoming the mindset that value her the Australian Open and French Open titles
For Aryna Sabalenka, 2025 began off as a 12 months of close to misses. She kicked off her season on the Australian Open, the place she made it to the finals, however was unable to defend her title after dropping to Madison Keys in an surprising upset. Just a few months later, Sabalenka made it to her second-consecutive Grand Slam last on the French Open, however she fell brief within the summit conflict but once more, this time to Coco Gauf.
Reflecting on the mindset that value her two Main titles, Sabalenka admitted that she’d anticipated straightforward wins within the finals, telling media,
“I used to be in Mykonos, studying my e-book, having fun with the view. And I used to be simply pondering that why would I let my feelings take management over me in these two finals? And it felt like I assumed that, okay, if I made it to the ultimate, it signifies that I’ll win it. I type of did not count on gamers to come back on the market and to struggle, I assumed that the whole lot gonna go simply my approach, which was fully flawed mindset.”
Aryna Sabalenka went on to emphasise that she turned this mindset round in time for the US Open, saying,
“Going into this last, I made a decision for myself that I am gonna management my feelings. So my mindset was simply going on the market, struggle for each level. And I feel from what I perceive at the moment, that the lesson realized and I actually hope it can by no means occur once more if I’ll be enjoying one other finals, that I will be extra in management.”
For Aryna Sabalenka, her triumph in New York marks her fourth Grand Slam title. Beforehand, the Belarusian has received the 2023 and 2024 Australian Open titles, in addition to the 2024 US Open trophy.
alt=”Riddhi Acharya” top=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Riddhi Acharya
