Aryna Sabalenka Claims Her First US Open Title

Aryna Sabalenka clinched her first US Open title, overcoming last year's disappointment against Coco Gauff. The Belarusian second seed defeated American Jessica Pegula in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 7-5, rejoicing after her impressive victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium. This is prepared by SSP.

Previously, Sabalenka had shown her frustration by smashing her racquet following her 2023 loss. However, this year, victory tasted sweeter as she celebrated by dropping to the ground. Beyond her US Open success, Sabalenka has secured three Grand Slam singles titles, with her recent achievement continuing her unbeaten run of 14 matches on hard courts during major events.

After the match, an emotional Sabalenka, age 26, expressed her joy: "I'm speechless right now. It's always been my dream to get this beautiful trophy." She jubilantly celebrated with her team, including a playful moment with her strength and conditioning coach Jason Stacy, who sported a replica of her tiger tattoo.

She underscored her perseverance, saying, "If you work hard and sacrifice everything for your dream, you'll achieve it one day. I'm incredibly proud of myself and my team."

In Pegula's first Grand Slam single final, the sixth seed showed tenacity, rallying from 0-3 and break point to a 5-3 lead in the second set. Despite the support of a boisterous crowd and overcoming world number one Iga Swiatek in earlier rounds, Pegula couldn't fend off Sabalenka's relentless play. The capacity audience, including Olympian Noah Lyles, NBA star Steph Curry, and former F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, witnessed Pegula's gritty performance against the mighty Sabalenka.

Holding firm, Sabalenka denied Pegula a monumental comeback and sealed her hard-earned victory when Pegula's return went long. With this win, Sabalenka earned 2,000 ranking points and a prize of $3.6m (£3.04m).