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NEW YORK (AP) — Even after her first US Open title and thus her third Grand Slam title, Aryna Sabalenka made it clear that she is far from considering herself a finished product.
“Hopefully one day we’ll see me play serve-and-volley,” she said with a hearty laugh. “I’m not sure I’m brave enough to do it, but maybe one day I’ll come up with that ‘Plan C.’ Hopefully we’ll never need it, but whatever. Whatever it takes.”
Sabalenka reminded everyone that she is as good as it gets on hard courts these days with her 7-5, 7-5 victory over Jessica Pegula in the final on Saturday at Flushing Meadows. The world No. 2 Sabalenka has gone 27-1 in majors on the surface over the past two seasons, winning two Australian Open trophies during that span and making it to the final of the 2023 US Open before losing to Coco Gauff.
The 26-year-old from Belarus also provided the latest example of how powerful her serve and groundstrokes are – her forehand speed at the US Open was faster than that of all the men and women in the tournament – and how they can overwhelm an opponent.
Even when the stakes are high, she can really pull through.
“I mean, I know I have to try. That’s the only way it works for me, because every time I try to play safer … I stop my arms and the ball goes into the stands,” Sabalenka said. “So I decided for myself a long time ago: In these important moments, I just have to try. I have to swing.”
The first set on Saturday ended 5:5 and Sabalenka won the last two games.
She was down 3-5 in the second set before winning the last four.
“She played great tennis,” said Pegula, who will rise to No. 3 in the rankings, “in some big moments.”
Perhaps most impressive, and of more concern to the other top players in the sport, was the way Sabalenka showed variety and was willing, at crucial moments, to try something other than her intimidating, shouting groundstrokes.
At the end of the opening set, for example, when Pegula was serving and trying to force a tiebreak, Sabalenka used a drop point to put her opponent in front before hitting a forehand passing winner down the line. Later in the game, when Pegula was just one point away from 6-6, Sabalenka hit a superb volley to get to deuce. Then, after a double fault, Sabalenka broke to win the set with a drop point that drew a net in response.
“It’s really good to have these options in your pocket. Sometimes you don’t feel so good on the baseline and you can just do a slice or a drop shot or go to the net. I mean, I’ve always worked on that variation on the court,” Sabalenka said. “I’m really glad I’m brave enough to use these tools.”
She went on to say that this versatility not only helps to win a particular exchange here and there, but also makes life more difficult for the women on the other side of the net.
Just another reason why she has won 12 games in a row.
“I feel like I put more pressure on my opponents when they see that I not only hit hard but also play with a bit of feeling,” Sabalenka said. “That’s why we’re always working on (those aspects of) my game.”
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. You can find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich
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AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
