NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka can nonetheless bear in mind how distant the highest of tennis as soon as appeared.
“After I first got here right here, I felt like the highest stage was one thing untouchable, one thing not possible,” Sabalenka stated Friday on the US Open. “I want I might have had a special mindset again then.”
Her perspective has modified significantly.
Sabalenka, now the World No. 1 and a four-time Grand Slam champion, reached the US Open fourth spherical with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Kamilla Rakhimova. The victory prolonged her profitable streak in New York to 16 matches as she pursues a 3rd consecutive title in Queens.
However when requested to look again on the participant she was early in her profession, Sabalenka didn’t body her rise as inevitable.
“It’s been an extended journey,” she stated. “I needed to work so exhausting to vary quite a lot of issues in my sport, so as to add quite a lot of issues in my sport to have the ability to compete on the highest stage.”
Sabalenka’s energy has lengthy been obvious. The work, she stated, was in creating the remainder of what she wanted to maintain it: the decision-making, the composure and a sport outfitted for the calls for of enjoying deep into the game’s largest tournaments.
“If somebody would inform me the place it will lead me in, like, I don’t know, 10 years from that interval, I might be so shocked and possibly tremendous motivated, after all, to listen to that,” she stated.
Now, the participant who as soon as considered the highest of the sport as distant has turn into one among its constants.
Sixteen straight in Queens
Sabalenka’s final US Open defeat got here within the 2023 closing, when Coco Gauff beat her in three units. Since then, Sabalenka has gained back-to-back titles in Queens, defeating Jessica Pegula within the 2024 closing and Amanda Anisimova final yr.
Friday’s victory made Sabalenka the primary participant to win 16 consecutive US Open matches since Serena Williams gained 26 in a row from 2012 by way of 2015.
Since making her main-draw debut on the US Open in 2018, Sabalenka has collected extra singles main-draw victories on the match than every other participant. Her whole now stands at 37.
The win over Rakhimova additionally added a couple of extra traces to Sabalenka’s New York and Grand Slam résumé:
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16: Sabalenka has now reached the fourth spherical at 16 consecutive Grand Slam occasions she has performed, the primary participant to take action since Lindsay Davenport made the spherical of 16 at 20 straight majors from Wimbledon in 2000 by way of the 2006 US Open.
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8: For the reason that begin of 2025, Sabalenka is the one participant to achieve the fourth spherical in any respect eight Grand Slam occasions. Her solely different season reaching the second week in any respect 4 majors was 2023.
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2: Sabalenka is the second participant since 2000 to achieve the fourth spherical at each Grand Slam in consecutive calendar years whereas ranked World No. 1, after Serena Williams in 2015 and 2016.
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29: Sabalenka has now gained 29 US Open matches in straight units, tying the Australian Open for her highest whole at a single WTA-level occasion.
Greater stakes
No participant has extra Grand Slam match-wins than Sabalenka’s 16 this season.
She arrived in New York with one other main goal in view: She should win the title to retain an opportunity of staying atop the PIF WTA Rankings after the match.
“I utterly shut out the noise from exterior and deal with myself,” Sabalenka stated. “If I push myself each second, I do know I’ll have my possibilities.”
Subsequent: Townsend, and a New York crowd
Sabalenka will subsequent face Taylor Townsend, who outlasted No. 15 seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-3 later Friday to achieve the fourth spherical.
Townsend presents a special sort of downside, with the variability and net-rushing instincts which have made her one of many match’s most compelling gamers. She will even have the assist of a New York crowd.
Requested concerning the prospect earlier than Townsend’s win, Sabalenka smiled on the premise.
“You guys try to construct up that pressure?” she stated.
Then she provided the extra critical reply.
“She’s an important participant,” Sabalenka stated. “She’s, I’d say, a difficult participant, as a result of she brings the variability, involves the online, actually makes you assume throughout the sport. I’m fairly certain if it’s going to be her, it’s going to be an important battle.”
For now, Sabalenka has earned one other week in New York.
