Aryna Sabalenka to face an American in US Open final again

NEW YORK – World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will brace herself for a partisan crowd in the US Open final for a third year in a row on Sept 6, as she stands across the net from American Amanda Anisimova in the final match of her title defence.

The Belarusian recovered from a set down to get past American fourth seed Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in her semi-final, as she bids to become the first woman to win back-to-back US Open titles since Serena Williams in 2014.

She will take to the court on Sept 6 with the fans squarely in her opponent’s favour, after eighth seed Anisimova downed four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in another three-set thriller – 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.

“I played a lot of matches against American women in America and probably learnt how to deal with it with experience,” Sabalenka said.

The home crowd reached a fever pitch in the 2023 final as local favourite Coco Gauff battled past Sabalenka, with the Belarusian later jokingly calling out fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium for their lack of support.

After Gauff hoisted the trophy, Sabalenka said that she hoped to play the American in more finals – but with “different results, hopefully”.

A year later, she made a cheeky offer to buy US fans a round of drinks if they cheered for her over American Emma Navarro in the semi-final. After swatting her opponent aside, she teased the crowd: “Now you’re cheering for me – wow – it’s a bit late.”

She dished out one more disappointment to the Americans that year, beating Pegula in the final.

“After last season, where I played the semi-final and final against an American, I think I learnt to distance myself somehow,” she added.

“I only heard support in my direction and, in fact, I was so focused on my work that I could not allow myself to give in to these emotions and give up the victory just because I was angry at the stadium.”

Sabalenka has now made the final at four of the last five Grand Slams but has not added to her haul of three Majors since winning the 2024 US Open.

She finished runner-up at the Australian Open and Roland Garros earlier this season.

“I badly wanted to give myself another opportunity, another final, and I want to prove to myself that I learnt those tough lessons and I can do better in the finals,” she said.

The 27-year-old will also try to avenge her Wimbledon semi-final loss to Anisimova.

“I have to trust myself, and I have to go after my shots. I felt in that match at Wimbledon I was doubting my decisions, and that was the main thing that brought a lot of unforced errors,” she said.

Anisimova reached her second Slam final in a row after rallying to overcome Osaka in a match that stretched well past midnight in New York.

“I wasn’t sure I would make it past the finish line. I tried to dig deep. It was a huge fight out there,” said the American, who lost to Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon title-decider.

“It means the world. I’m trying to process that right now, it’s a dream come true. The hope is to be the champion but I’m in the final now and I’m excited.”

Apart from the final, Sabalenka said she is ready to “kick ass” when she faces volatile Australian star Nick Kyrgios in a “Battle of the Sexes” tennis showdown in 2026.

She is set to face Kyrgios in a rare man-versus-woman contest, reportedly due to take place in Hong Kong in January before the Australian Open.

Kyrgios threw down the gauntlet to Sabalenka earlier this week, saying in an interview he would easily dispatch the 27-year-old.

“I think it’s gonna be spectacular to watch, especially against someone like Nick,” Sabalenka said.

“He said in another interview, that I genuinely think that I’m going to win. And I’ll definitely go out there, and I’ll try my best to kick his ass.” REUTERS, AFP