There is only one name echoing in the women's tennis arena, and that is Aryna Sabalenka. She rocked the stage with a thrilling defeat against Amanda Anisimova on Saturday night. The scores of the sets were pretty straightforward in the form of 6-3, 7-6(7-3). This was also a remarkable moment as she became the first woman after Serena Williams in 2014, to defend her US Open title.
Sabalenka Shines in Emotional US Open Title Defense
The match started with Sabalenka in her usual rhythm, with the strong serves and long shots by pushing back Amanda from her actual position, and that somehow made her puzzled. Sabalenka ended the first set in just half an hour, especially the trademark shots with the loud cheers of the audience. The second set, however, gave rise to a tense situation with a tiebreaker of 3-3, but Sabalenka took little time to have a comeback. In her post-match interview, Sabalenka told, "This means everything to me. Defending a Slam is one of the toughest challenges in our sport, and I’m so proud I could do it here in New York. I kept telling myself to stay focused and trust my game, especially in the tiebreak when the pressure was highest. Amanda played incredible tennis tonight, and I know she has many more finals ahead. I’m just grateful for my team, my family, and all the fans who supported me it gave me so much strength. To celebrate this moment with the people I love means the world."
Arthur Ashe was able to witness magic with it's own eyes as there were tons of high charged up moments and the audience were stuck to their seats to see as to who gets the title. Sabalenka became emotional after winning she went down on her knees with tears in her eyes. Sabalenka's family was also present there and she ran and hugged her boyfriend after the victory.
Anisimova’s Heartbreak as Sabalenka Reaches 100th Grand Slam Win
Now, coming to Anisimova, it was a loss that she will never forget. She spoke about Sabalenka's one-sided domination, “Aryna was too strong tonight, but this week showed me I belong here,”. She would take back the lessons she learned from this match in her future tournaments. Sabalenka, with this victory, ensured her 100th Grand Slam win. Sbalenka's dominance throughout the match and this victory in New York are just a sign of pure class.