The 27-year-old is looking confident in New York.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka wants to repeat her triumph from last year at the US Open and defy the pressure and her less than promising statistics. There has not been a successful title defender in New York for more than ten years. “My plan is to change that,” said the 27-year-old shortly before the start of the last Grand Slam of the year.
The last player to defend her title was Serena Williams, who triumphed three times in a row from 2012 to 2014. When asked about the statistics, Sabalenka said in amazement: “Wow, that’s crazy, isn’t it? Women’s tennis is so unpredictable.”
The Belarusian also had an explanation at the ready: “Maybe it’s because the winners come and put so much pressure on themselves every time.” She now feels this “definitely huge pressure” in the US metropolis too, “but I feel like I’m experienced enough to focus on my goal.”
After her success last year, Sabalenka narrowly missed out on victory at this year’s Grand Slams. She lost in the final at the Australian Open and the French Open, and was knocked out in the semi-finals at Wimbledon. “All the hard lessons I’ve learned this season will only make me stronger for the next one,” she said. But “of course, I would love to end the season with a Grand Slam title and as world number one.” In the first round, she will face Rebeka Masarova from Switzerland, who is ranked 109th in the world.
