Sabalenka Defends US Open Crown with Poise and Power

The retractable roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium slid shut just in time, sealing out the drizzle that threatened to wash away the afterglow. Nearly four hours after her straight-sets win over Amanda Anisimova, Aryna Sabalenka lingered in the champion's chair, sweat still glistening on her brow amid the fading cheers. Rain pattered above as she glanced skyward, urgency in her voice: not sure if pictures could proceed. But the hard work was done, her fourth Grand Slam singles title secured, a repeat that etched deeper lines of legacy on these hard courts.

Embracing the weight of success

At 27, squarely in her prime, Sabalenka has watched her own ascent reshape the horizon, four majors now matching Naomi Osaka's haul among active players, with only Iga Swiatek's six standing taller, excluding Venus Williams. This milestone stirs a whirlwind of expectations, yet she channels it inward, prioritizing growth over grand predictions. She shared her mindset with a blend of wonder and resolve, focusing on daily refinement to push the sport's boundaries further. That raw realization fuels her fire without confining it; she dodges talk of limits, eyes fixed on the process that could unlock endless peaks. The season's earlier finals, those crucibles of doubt, have forged a player who savors the chase, her backhand now a steady counterpunch in prolonged exchanges, ready for whatever the tour demands next.

Taming emotions amid tactical restraint

The final against Anisimova, a foe she's battled 10 times, demanded a departure from Sabalenka's explosive default, opting instead for measured pressure on the medium-paced DecoTurf surface. Body serves cramped the American's returns, denying the wide angles that invite her flat, penetrating winners, while deep crosscourt topspin rallies kept the tempo urgent, forcing errors without inviting chaos. By her standards, the stats reflected control—one ace, 13 winners—prioritizing a brisk one–two rhythm of serve and forehand over unchecked power, her slice backhand dipping low to disrupt rhythm on the grippy baseline. Post-match tears flowed freely, a release that spoke volumes about the internal victory. Earlier Grand Slam finals this year had exacted harsh lessons, but here she held firm, emotions harnessed rather than harnessed. She conveyed the depth of that pride, her voice steady despite the surge. “We definitely have a tactic against Amanda. I’ve played her 10 times. I felt like giving her some space and stopping my arms, making the game slower, would only benefit her. She would go for her shots and make crazy winners that she always does. And this match I was just trying to put back all the speed and pressure she was putting on me. And the serve, whenever you give her an angle she’s a great returner. So I was just trying not to give her so much space.” Even as an underdog in this American stronghold, the crowd's embrace surprised and gratified her, a bond built over years through off-court glimpses of her wit and warmth. She recalled her first final here, met with skepticism, now evolving into roaring support that amplified every inside-out forehand, turning the stadium into a shared pulse of anticipation. “I appreciate it a lot. And I feel like that throughout the years. I remember coming here for the first time, making the final for the first time. Crowd was definitely not on my side. I feel like I really built a good connection with people. They see more of me through social media and they know me better. Every year I come, it’s more and more support, so I’m really excited for the next years and I hope it’s going to be even more than it was today.” The photo session that followed, rain be damned, captured that joy in fleeting frames, a lighter counterpoint to the battle's intensity.

Winning the title is half the fun, the other half is the photo shoot 💅🏆 pic.twitter.com/VMmQ9QJUlt

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2025

Charting a course for endless pursuits

Champagne in hand, Sabalenka laughed with her team about the night's plans—drinks and revelry to honor the grind and those season-long trials they overcame together. “We’re definitely going to go out, we’re going to have some drinks. We’re going to enjoy it, because I think we put in really hard work and we all learned tough lessons earlier this season and we all deserve to enjoy this moment for a little bit.” She'll linger in New York before heading to her Miami base, then Dubai for fine-tuning ahead of the Asia Swing, with WTA 1000 stops in Beijing and Wuhan as key hard-court anchors. This defense isn't closure but ignition, her game now a tapestry of power laced with precision—down-the-line passes slicing through defenses, serves varying pace to unsettle returns. At her core, the volatility that once shadowed big moments has mellowed into quiet command, promising more slams where the lights of Flushing Meadows feel like home. She waved off forecasts of future titles, embracing the unknown with a player's unyielding drive: “I don’t know—I don’t want to think about that. I don’t want to put a limit on it. I just want to focus on becoming a better player and see how far I can get. Hopefully, I can win many more, but who knows? I’m pretty sure that I’ll put in the hard work and I’ll do everything possible to experience these emotions many more times.” The tour's relentless rhythm beckons, and with it, the chance to redefine her legacy one rain-kissed court at a time.