Aryna Sabalenka: First Woman To Reach Consecutive US Open Final After Serena Williams

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus beat Emma Navarro of the USA to qualify for the finals in the US Open at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. She dominated the 13th-seeded American  6-3, 7-6 (2) in a thrilling semifinal showdown on September 5. She will face Jessica Pegula in the trophy match on September 7. This is the first-ever final qualification for Pegula, who is the USA's #6 player.

“I’m ready to face whoever,” Sabalenka told the media after her semifinal victory. “Lesson from last year learned. I really hope I'm going to do a little bit better than I did last year.” The 26-year-old lost to American prodigy Coco Gauff at the 2023 US Open.

Who Is Aryna Sabalenka?

Aryna Sabalenka is a former World No. 1 tennis player born in Minsk, Belarus. She has been top-seeded in both Women's singles and doubles, by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). She proved her prowess in January this year at the 2024 Australian Open, where she defeated China's Zheng Qinwen in the final, 6–3, 6–2 to win the coveted trophy. This was her second consecutive trophy at the Australian Open.

Sabalenka, who started playing tennis at the age of six, professionally stepped into the sport much later than the usual tennis champion. Balancing academics with sports, she competed in lower-level tournaments but soon ascended to bigger courts. Her realistic progress up the tennis rankings has proven to be a testament to her dedication and hard work. She was ranked World No. 1 from September to November 2023.

Sabalenka's first win as a professional player was in 2014 when she took down You-NaSul of South Korea at the ITF Women's Circuit in Istanbul, Turkey. She has won several more revered titles and prizes since then. In 2019, she won the US Open alongside Belgian player Elise Mertens in the Women's doubles. The pair also won the 2021 Australian Open as they defeated Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková. 

'Lessons' From US Open 2023

Sabalenka's performance at the US Open 2023 was quite surprising in that she neatly slipped away with win after win. The semifinals saw her fight it out with Madison Keys, an American native. Whilst Sabalenka lost the first set, she rebounded in great style, with the final score becoming Sabalenka 0-6 6-6 (7-1) 6-6 (10-5) Keys, ending in Sabalenka's victory.

Her surprising victory ended the hopes of American fans wanting an All-American US Open final but has raised interest in the final match against Coco Gauff. The final saw Gauff dominate the Belarusian to take home the trophy. Sabalenka spoke about her opponent at the finals, saying she was an "amazing player," and that she'd be "fighting for every point," according to the New York Times.