NEW YORK — As the group at Arthur Ashe Stadium cheered wildly, Aryna Sabalenka put her head down and walked to her chair.
Coco Gauff was mendacity on the court docket together with her head in her fingers, celebrating her first main title, and Sabalenka was left to marvel how she had misplaced within the closing on the 2023 US Open, after profitable the primary set 6-2. She was gracious on the court docket in defeat, praising Gauff and smiling for images, however when Sabalenka left the court docket, she slammed her racket on the ground a number of occasions within the participant gymnasium earlier than placing it into the trash can.
When she spoke to reporters later, Sabalenka vowed the disappointing loss would solely assist her sooner or later.
“It is [a] lesson for me,” she stated. “I’ll study after which come again stronger.”
On Saturday, 364 days and a curler coaster of a season later, the 26-year-old Sabalenka made good on her promise, as she defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 to say the 2024 US Open title. It was Sabalenka’s third main title general — and he or she grew to become the primary lady to hoist the US Open trophy after dropping within the closing the earlier yr since Serena Williams in 2012.
This time when the match was over, it was Sabalenka together with her head in her fingers as she fell to the court docket. The one racket smash had occurred throughout a tense second late within the first set, and this time the tears working down her face have been these of pleasure.
She could not assist however take into consideration her 2023 heartbreak, in addition to her 2021 and 2022 semifinal defeats, after the match.
“I simply bear in mind all these powerful losses right here on the US Open, they usually say that you’ll see the explanation later and I see the explanation proper now,” Sabalenka stated on the ESPN broadcast after the trophy ceremony. “I needed to undergo these things, [and] powerful classes to have the ability to maintain this lovely trophy, and now I believe I am the happiest particular person on the planet proper now.”
Among the finest gamers on tour on the arduous court docket, Sabalenka began 2024 very similar to her 2023 season had begun — with an Australian Open title. And whereas her 2023 victory in Melbourne for the primary main title of her profession had been a three-set battle with Elena Rybakina, this yr, Sabalenka made fast work of Qinwen Zheng, 6-3, 6-2 for the title. Zheng admitted she had been overwhelmed by Sabalenka’s stage of play and trademark energy.
“She’s a extremely aggressive participant,” Zheng stated later. “If you happen to let an opportunity go [against her], it’s going to occur like at the moment.”
It additionally marked Sabalenka’s sixth consecutive main by which she reached the semifinals or additional, and it appeared like Sabalenka would stay some of the constant and dominant gamers within the new season.
Then tragedy struck.
Simply days earlier than she was slated to start out play on the Miami Open in March, Sabalenka’s former associate Konstantin Koltsov, a retired skilled hockey participant, died after an obvious suicide whereas staying in a close-by lodge. Sabalenka, who remained largely silent on the matter, grew to become the middle of a morbid information cycle. She remained within the Miami Open draw and was seen carrying all black throughout a closely attended apply session on the grounds the next day.
“Konstantin’s loss of life is an unthinkable tragedy, and whereas we have been not collectively, my coronary heart is damaged,” Sabalenka stated in an announcement. “Please respect my privateness and his household’s privateness throughout this tough time.” She did not communicate to the media throughout the match.
She gained her opening match in opposition to shut pal Paula Badosa, who afterward referred to as her a “very, very sturdy lady” and acknowledged how uncomfortable the match had been given the circumstances. Sabalenka misplaced the next spherical.
She then turned her consideration to the clay season, throughout which she reached back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome. Sabalenka had a abdomen virus on the French Open, although, and misplaced within the quarterfinals — marking her earliest exit at a Slam in two years.
Throughout her first match on grass, Sabalenka sustained a debilitating shoulder harm and needed to retire within the first set of her second match. She tried to get well in time for Wimbledon — and even was on website training on the All England Membership within the days earlier than the principle draw started — however needed to withdraw earlier than her opening-round match. She stated she was “heartbroken” in an announcement however insisted, as she had on the US Open, that she could be again and “stronger than ever.”
And whereas a lot of her top-ranked friends went to Paris once more for the Olympic Video games on the finish of July, Sabalenka already had opted to skip the occasion.
“Particularly with all of the struggles I have been combating the final months, I really feel I’ve to maintain my well being,” Sabalenka informed reporters in June. “It is an excessive amount of for the scheduling, and I made the choice to maintain my well being.”
It appeared to repay.
Whereas she did not reference Koltsov’s loss of life straight on Saturday on the US Open, she stated she “did not cease after some challenges in my life” earlier within the season and that it had taken its toll.
“I [kept] pushing myself, and I assume I simply bought to the restrict emotionally and bodily and it was essential to sort of step again, simply recharge,” Sabalenka stated. “Simply that little second with myself actually helped me to be extra recent and extra prepared, and I felt like I used to be hungrier than ever this summer time.”
Whereas many different gamers mentioned experiencing fatigue after the grueling summer time schedule and the a number of floor adjustments — and cited it as a possible purpose for being on the flawed facet of an upset in New York — Sabalenka had no such challenge. Coming into Saturday’s closing, she had a 15-2 document on arduous court docket this summer time in 4 occasions and had gained the title in Cincinnati in her closing lead-in match.
“I’ve no regrets on that call [to skip the Olympics],” Sabalenka stated on Thursday. “I imply, it appears prefer it was the precise one, and I had a good time off. I did a number of remedy, a number of rehab and all that stuff. Then I had somewhat camp earlier than the hard-court season. I used to be in a position to reset my thoughts and clear my ideas and begin every part from the start.”
Throughout her run in New York, she had dropped only one set forward of Saturday and held off a slew of seeded opponents, together with No. 7 Zheng within the quarterfinals and rising American No. 13 Emma Navarro within the semifinals.
“[Her forehand is] clearly an enormous weapon,” Navarro stated after praising Sabalenka’s potential to lift her stage of play in probably the most essential moments. “Undoubtedly felt that at occasions at the moment.”
Within the closing in opposition to the red-hot Pegula, who had gained the Canadian Open title final month and had been Sabalenka’s opponent within the Cincinnati closing, Sabalenka took management late within the first set and gained 5 consecutive video games to leap to a 3-0 lead within the second. However Pegula wouldn’t go away with out a struggle, profitable the subsequent 5 video games and looking out poised to drive a decider.
Remembering what occurred final yr within the third set and decided to shut it out, Sabalenka stated she dug deep into her emotional reserves and let her psychological toughness take over.
“I have been by means of so much on and off the court docket, and I simply discovered for myself how one can management my feelings and keep balanced on court docket,” she stated later. “And even when issues will not be going my method, I simply maintain reminding myself that, ‘Come on, Aryna, you have been by means of so much. That is only a tennis match, and you’ll deal with these feelings. You simply need to deal with issues you must do at the moment to win this match.'”
Pegula, who referred to as Sabalenka the perfect hard-court participant on the planet, seen it too.
“She performed some huge tennis in some huge moments,” Pegula stated.
Throughout the victory ceremony, on the identical stage she had stood on in 2023 as she fought off tears following the loss, Sabalenka basked within the highlight. She accepted her trophy — and her $3.6 million winner’s test — and posed for images with a smile that simply would not fade. When she addressed the group, she could not assist however replicate on the previous yr and acknowledge the journey that had taken her proper again to the identical place — however in a wholly totally different place.
“It is going to sound simple, however by no means hand over in your dream and simply maintain attempting, maintain working arduous,” Sabalenka stated. “And when you’re actually working arduous and also you’re sacrificing every part on your dream, you are going to get it someday.
“So, I am simply tremendous pleased with myself. I by no means say that, however actually guys, I am tremendous pleased with myself. I am pleased with my crew that it doesn’t matter what, irrespective of which scenario we have been going through this season and prior to now, we have been in a position to undergo it.”