Aryna Sabalenka makes ‘calm’ confession after Cincinnati resurgence
Aryna Sabalenka has revealed that she is trying to stay “calm” as she looks to back up her Cincinnati Open victory with a US Open triumph.
Sabalenka stormed to her sixth WTA 1000 title on Monday, beating Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-5 to claim her first Cincinnati Open title without dropping a set.
That triumph saw her rise back up to world No 2 in the WTA Rankings, and she is now widely considered the slight favourite for the US Open – where she was the runner-up 12 months ago.
Her form heading into Cincinnati was far from perfect, with the Belarusian struggling in Washington and Toronto following her return from a shoulder injury.
Speaking to WTA Insider, the former world No 1 admitted she was “really emotional” in her first two events of the hard court summer, and is now looking to stay “calm and confident” ahead of Flushing Meadows.
She said: “I think I was really emotional in Washington and Toronto coming back after after injury.
“I was overreacting, and I just stepped back and realized that I played my great tennis when I was calm and confident, that no matter what’s what’s going on the court, I’ll be able to keep fighting and keep trying my best no matter what the score, what the situation is.
Aryna Sabalenka News
US Open women’s singles seeds confirmed: Iga Swiatek top, Aryna Sabalenka edges out Coco Gauff
The 3 women to win Cincinnati and US Open in same season: Can Aryna Sabalenka become No 4?
“And I just realized that I have to be that way. There is no, no other way for me if I want to, if I want to do well here and New York.
“I was kind of like, I’m gonna be calm from the beginning to the end of the match.
“Even if I lose the match easily, I have to stay calm. I have to practice that. And I have to have this belief that I’ll be able to turn around that match no matter what the situation is.”
Just as she was in 2023, Sabalenka will be the second seed in New York.
After two previous semi-final defeats she reached her first US Open final last summer but fell in three sets to Coco Gauff, having claimed the opener.
She bounced back to successfully defend her Australian Open title at the beginning of this year but her streak of six consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals was snapped at the French Open.
Struggling with illness, she was beaten in the last eight by Mirra Andreeva, and then sustained the shoulder injury that forced her out of Wimbledon.
Read Next: Supercomputer shuns Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff in 2024 US Open title predictions
