Sabalenka crowned the queen at Queens

Mumbai: As Aryna Sabalenka stepped down from the podium after the presentation ceremony for the US Open women’s singles champion’s photo call, she glanced at the trophy, specifically scanning the area where names of winners are inscribed. Aryna Sabalenka celebrates with the US Open trophy after defeating Jessica Pegula in the women’s singles final. (Getty Images)

There it was, finally. The queen of hard courts crowned the queen at Queens, finally.

After three years of near-misses and opportunities fluffed, after last year’s feeling of could’ve, would’ve, should’ve crossed the line, Sabalenka finally did on a rainy Saturday in New York. Overcoming the 2023 final dampener, the Belarusian shone bright in beating USA’s Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in the 2024 final.

“Now, finally, we are having this beautiful trophy,” Sabalenka said.

This triumph, though, is more than just about the world No.2 wrapping her hands around that beautiful trophy. It also strengthens the three-time Grand Slam champion’s grip as the most dominant figure in Slams among the women over the last couple of years.

That Sabalenka is the player to beat on hard courts is without question. Across her hard-court Slam sweep this season in Melbourne and New York — she and Angelique Kerber (2016) are the only two women to do so in the last 27 years — Sabalenka has dropped all of one set. She’s also the player making consistently deep runs when the big tournaments come calling across surfaces in recent times, a far cry from the wildly erratic beast she was known to be on court.

Since being banned from the 2022 Wimbledon due to her nationality, Sabalenka has not exited before the quarter-final stage of any Major she has competed in. Over the last two seasons, she has pocketed three Slams (2023 and 2024 Australian Open, 2024 US Open), made one final, reached two semi-finals (2023 French Open and Wimbledon) and another quarter-final (2024 French Open).

For two years running, Sabalenka has the highest number of match wins in Slams among women in singles, touching Serena-esque territory of dominance (Serena Williams was the last to achieve the feat in 2015-16). She ends this season with an 18-1 record in Slams, level with Jasmine Paolini without even turning up for Wimbledon (shoulder injury).

Sure, Iga Swiatek is the top-ranked player and the more consistent performer on the WTA tour (she has five titles in 2024 to Sabalenka’s two). It is the world No.2, though, that has remained the one recurrent face in the business end of Slams over the last two years. Her much sought-after US Open title reaffirms her superior Slam status.

“I would definitely say this is the best moment, one of the best moments,” Sabalenka said of her US Open conquest. “All those tough losses in the past... I was just so proud of myself and proud of my team that no matter what, we were able to come back stronger and come back with better tennis.”

Better tennis, with more tricks up her sleeve.

Two aspects separate this Sabalenka from that of last year. One, a stronger mind. From 3-0 up in the second set to 3-5 down, it could’ve been the 2023 Coco Gauff final all over again. Except this time, Sabalenka dug deep, reminded herself she’s “strong enough to hold under this pressure” and delivered clutch tennis in those crucial moments and big points to thwart the crowd factor and a third set.

Two, a more varied game. Sabalenka’s brute power from the baseline is largely unmatched — coming into the final flaunting a greater volume of winners than any other woman, she fired 40 to Pegula’s 17. She’s also increasingly mixing that up with the touch game. She brought it out at critical moments against Emma Navarro in the semi-final, and also threw Pegula off guard with it in the final.

In the sixth game of the first set, Sabalenka was quick to move to the net from the baseline, first to execute a crisp volley winner and then to finish off a rally. With a game point for Pegula to force a tiebreaker in the back-and-forth last game, Sabalenka pulled out a brilliant drop shot winner to bring things back to deuce. Two points later, a deft backhand crosscourt sliced volley wrapped up the set for her. The baseline bully — also a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion, lest we forget — rushed forward 23 times, winning 18 of those points.

“I’ve been always working on this variation,” Sabalenka said. “I’m really glad that I’m brave enough to use these tools in those key moments. It’s really important to always improve yourself. I feel I put even more pressure on the opponents when they see I’m not only (a) hard-hitter, I can also play with some touch.”

Undefeated in hard-court Slams in 2024, Sabalenka is further honing her game to tune it to clay and grass. And this year’s Australian and US Open champion is hungry for a finer spread of the Slam pie.

“After I lost my father, it’s always been my goal to put our family name in the history of tennis,” she said. “Every time I see my name on that trophy, I feel proud of myself.”

Click here to read article