Sabalenka says emotional control was key to US Open win

NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka credited her newfound mental approach on Saturday after producing a controlled performance that saw her power to victory at the US Open.

The 27-year-old world No 1 from Belarus defeated American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3) to retain her US Open crown and capture a fourth career Grand Slam title.

Sabalenka said afterwards that her victory came after defeats in the Australian and French Open finals this season prompted her to rethink how she approached major finals.

"After the Australian Open, I thought that the right way would be just to forget it and move on, but then the same thing happened at the French Open," she said.

"So, after the French Open, I figured that, 'OK, maybe it's time for me to sit back and to look at those finals and maybe learn something', because I didn't want it to happen again and again and again."

A holiday in Mykonos, where she read the self-help memoir Into the Magic Shop by neurosurgeon James Doty, provided a lightbulb moment.

"Reading that book, I realized a lot of things," she said.

"That book really helped me to stay focused, and to focus on the right things at important points.

"I was just thinking 'why did I let my emotions take control over me in those two finals?' I thought that, 'OK, if I made it to the final, it means that I'm going to win it'."

Approaching Saturday's final, Sabalenka said she had been determined to keep her temperament in check.

"I'm not going to let (my emotions) take control of me, and it doesn't matter what happens during the match," said Sabalenka, who arrived at her post-match news conference clutching an open bottle of champagne.

Sabalenka greeted victory by collapsing to the baseline, an expression of joy mixed with relief. The Belarusian said Saturday's win had carried extra meaning, given her two previous defeats in Grand Slam finals this year.

"This one felt different," she said. "You know, it felt like I had to overcome a lot of things to get this one.

"I knew that, with the hard work we put in, like, I deserved to have a Grand Slam title this season.

"To bring the fight and be able to handle my emotions the way I did in this final, it means a lot.

"I'm super proud of myself right now."

Sabalenka meanwhile paid tribute to her late father, Sergey, who died from meningitis in 2019 at the age of 43.

"When he passed away, you know, I was very depressed. It was a tough moment for me, for my family," Sabalenka said.

"But, in that moment, I decided to take it as motivation, to put our family name in the history books.

"I want to believe, and I think I feel his protection from up there, and I know that he became my power."

So close, yet so far

For the second consecutive Grand Slam, Anisimova found herself tantalizingly close to etching her name into the tennis history books — only to watch it slip away in straight sets.

The 24-year-old American's loss to Sabalenka on Saturday marked another painful chapter in a story of near-misses on the sport's biggest stages.

After falling short at Wimbledon earlier this year, Anisimova again struggled to find her best in the pressure cooker of a major final.

"I feel like, with finals, I have a lot of nerves, and it's something I'm trying to work on," Anisimova admitted in her post-match news conference.

The aggressive baseline game that carried her past former champions Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka was on display, as she struck 22 winners to Sabalenka's 13.

But, a high-risk strategy produced costly errors, with the American committing 29 unforced errors to her opponent's 15.

Anisimova said her rhythm was thrown off by an unexpected factor: the lighting under the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium for the day session.

"Well, I haven't played on the court during the day with the roof closed, and it was literally, like, white, and I couldn't see the ball when I was serving," she explained.

The loss was a cruel blow for the former junior US Open champion, but her run to the final ensures she will break into the top five of the world rankings for the first time.

"It has been a great summer. Losing in two finals is great, but it is also super hard," Anisimova said on court, capturing the bittersweet nature of her breakthrough season.

Agencies