The US Open title is the final word redemption story for Aryna Sabalenka

NEW YORK — As the gang at Arthur Ashe Stadium cheered wildly, Aryna Sabalenka put her head down and walked to her chair.

Coco Gauff was mendacity on the court docket along with her head in her fingers, celebrating her first major title, and Sabalenka was left to marvel how she had misplaced within the ultimate on the 2023 US Open, after profitable the primary set 6-2. She was gracious on the court docket in defeat, praising Gauff and smiling for pictures, however when Sabalenka left the court docket, she slammed her racket on the ground a number of instances within the participant fitness center earlier than placing it into the trash can.

When she spoke to reporters later, Sabalenka vowed the disappointing loss would solely assist her sooner or later.

“It is [a] lesson for me,” she stated. “I’ll study after which come again stronger.”

On Saturday, 364 days and a curler coaster of a season later, the 26-year-old Sabalenka made good on her promise, as she defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 to say the 2024 US Open title. It was Sabalenka’s third main title general — and he or she turned the primary lady to hoist the US Open trophy after shedding within the ultimate the earlier yr since Serena Williams in 2012.

This time when the match was over, it was Sabalenka along with her head in her fingers as she fell to the court docket. The one racket smash had occurred throughout a tense second late within the first set, and this time the tears operating down her face have been these of pleasure.

She could not assist however take into consideration her 2023 heartbreak, in addition to her 2021 and 2022 semifinal defeats, after the match.

“I simply keep in mind all these robust losses right here on the US Open, and so they say that you will see the explanation later and I see the explanation proper now,” Sabalenka stated on the ESPN broadcast after the trophy ceremony. “I needed to undergo these items, [and] robust classes to have the ability to maintain this lovely trophy, and now I feel I am the happiest individual on the earth proper now.”

The most effective gamers on tour on the laborious court docket, Sabalenka began 2024 very similar to her 2023 season had begun — with an Australian Open title. And whereas her 2023 victory in Melbourne for the primary main title of her profession had been a three-set battle with Elena Rybakina, this yr, Sabalenka made fast work of Qinwen Zheng, 6-3, 6-2 for the title. Zheng admitted she had been overwhelmed by Sabalenka’s stage of play and trademark energy.

“She’s a very aggressive participant,” Zheng stated later. “For those who let an opportunity go [against her], it should occur like as we speak.”

It additionally marked Sabalenka’s sixth consecutive main through which she reached the semifinals or additional, and it appeared like Sabalenka would stay probably the most constant and dominant gamers within the new season.

Then tragedy struck.

Simply days earlier than she was slated to begin play on the Miami Open in March, Sabalenka’s former companion Konstantin Koltsov, a retired skilled hockey participant, died after an apparent suicide whereas staying in a close-by lodge. Sabalenka, who remained largely silent on the matter, turned the middle of a morbid information cycle. She remained within the Miami Open draw and was seen sporting all black throughout a closely attended follow session on the grounds the next day.

“Konstantin’s dying is an unthinkable tragedy, and whereas we have been now not collectively, my coronary heart is damaged,” Sabalenka stated in a press release. “Please respect my privateness and his household’s privateness throughout this troublesome time.” She did not communicate to the media throughout the event.

She received her opening match towards shut pal Paula Badosa, who afterward referred to as her a “very, very robust lady” and acknowledged how uncomfortable the match had been given the circumstances. Sabalenka misplaced the next spherical.

She then turned her consideration to the clay season, throughout which she reached back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome. Sabalenka had a abdomen virus on the French Open, although, and misplaced within the quarterfinals — marking her earliest exit at a Slam in two years.

Throughout her first event on grass, Sabalenka sustained a debilitating shoulder harm and needed to retire within the first set of her second match. She tried to get well in time for Wimbledon — and even was on website working towards on the All England Membership within the days earlier than the primary draw started — however needed to withdraw earlier than her opening-round match. She stated she was “heartbroken” in a press release but insisted, as she had at the US Open, that she could be again and “stronger than ever.”

And whereas lots of her top-ranked friends went to Paris once more for the Olympic Video games on the finish of July, Sabalenka already had opted to skip the occasion.

“Particularly with all of the struggles I have been combating the final months, I really feel I’ve to maintain my well being,” Sabalenka instructed reporters in June. “It is an excessive amount of for the scheduling, and I made the choice to maintain my well being.”

It appeared to repay.

Whereas she did not reference Koltsov’s dying instantly on Saturday on the US Open, she stated she “did not cease after some challenges in my life” earlier within the season and that it had taken its toll.

“I [kept] pushing myself, and I suppose I simply acquired to the restrict emotionally and bodily and it was crucial to sort of step again, simply recharge,” Sabalenka stated. “Simply that little second with myself actually helped me to be extra contemporary and extra prepared, and I felt like I used to be hungrier than ever this summer time.”

Whereas many different gamers mentioned experiencing fatigue after the grueling summer time schedule and the a number of floor adjustments — and cited it as a possible purpose for being on the improper facet of an upset in New York — Sabalenka had no such subject. Coming into Saturday’s ultimate, she had a 15-2 report on laborious court docket this summer time in 4 occasions and had received the title in Cincinnati in her ultimate lead-in event.

“I’ve no regrets on that call [to skip the Olympics],” Sabalenka stated on Thursday. “I imply, it appears to be like prefer it was the best one, and I had a good time off. I did plenty of remedy, plenty of rehab and all that stuff. Then I had somewhat camp earlier than the hard-court season. I used to be in a position to reset my thoughts and clear my ideas and begin every part from the start.”

Throughout her run in New York, she had dropped only one set forward of Saturday and held off a slew of seeded opponents, together with No. 7 Zheng within the quarterfinals and rising American No. 13 Emma Navarro within the semifinals.

“[Her forehand is] clearly an enormous weapon,” Navarro stated after praising Sabalenka’s skill to boost her stage of play in essentially the most essential moments. “Positively felt that at instances as we speak.”

Within the ultimate towards the red-hot Pegula, who had received the Canadian Open title final month and had been Sabalenka’s opponent within the Cincinnati ultimate, Sabalenka took management late within the first set and received 5 consecutive video games to leap to a 3-0 lead within the second. However Pegula wouldn’t go away with out a struggle, profitable the following 5 video games and searching poised to pressure a decider.

Remembering what occurred final yr within the third set and decided to shut it out, Sabalenka stated she dug deep into her emotional reserves and let her psychological toughness take over.

“I have been by means of lots on and off the court docket, and I simply found out for myself the right way to management my feelings and keep balanced on court docket,” she stated later. “And even when issues will not be going my approach, I simply hold reminding myself that, ‘Come on, Aryna, you have been by means of lots. That is only a tennis match, and you’ll deal with these feelings. You simply need to concentrate on issues it’s important to do as we speak to win this match.'”

Pegula, who referred to as Sabalenka one of the best hard-court participant on the earth, seen it too.

“She performed some huge tennis in some huge moments,” Pegula stated.

Throughout the victory ceremony, on the identical stage she had stood on in 2023 as she fought off tears following the loss, Sabalenka basked within the highlight. She accepted her trophy — and her $3.6 million winner’s examine — and posed for pictures with a smile that simply would not fade. When she addressed the gang, she could not assist however replicate on the previous yr and acknowledge the journey that had taken her proper again to the identical place — however in a completely completely different place.

“It’ll sound straightforward, however by no means quit in your dream and simply hold making an attempt, hold working laborious,” Sabalenka stated. “And in case you’re actually working laborious and also you’re sacrificing every part in your dream, you are going to get it sooner or later.

“So, I am simply tremendous happy with myself. I by no means say that, however actually guys, I am tremendous happy with myself. I am happy with my staff that it doesn’t matter what, irrespective of which state of affairs we have been dealing with this season and prior to now, we have been in a position to undergo it.”