What comes after the pain of Grand Slam singles disappointment? For the No. 8-seeded doubles duo of Victoria Azarenka and Ashleigh Barty, it could be utter elation.
The pair of former world No. 1 singles players was bounced from the US Open women’s singles draw sooner than expected this year, but from that bitter end springs a sprig of new hope.
Already into their first Grand Slam doubles semifinal as a team, they will face Viktoria Kuzmova and Aliaksandra Sasnovich for a spot in the women's doubles final on Day 11 in New York.
Barty, considered a favorite to win the US Open women’s singles title by many pundits, crashed out of the draw to China’s Qiang Wang in the Round of 16. Not to worry: the stinging loss has not dampened Barty’s enthusiasm for the pursuit of doubles glory. If she makes it through the semis, this weekend, the Aussie will bid to become the first woman to successfully defend the US Open women’s double title since France’s Natalie Dechy in 2007.
“It was a tough day at the office today,” the 2019 Roland Garros women’s singles champ told a roomful of reporters after bowing out to Wang on Day 7 in New York. “But it's been a year where we've hit our goals. Obviously, I would have loved to have kept going here in singles, but we've got an opportunity to do that in doubles.”
Barty, who claimed her maiden Grand Slam doubles title last year with American CoCo Vandeweghe, hopes she can take her newly formed partnership with Azarenka back to the podium before the curtain closes on the 2019 Grand Slam season.
“Knowing what it was like last year to be able to lift the trophy in doubles was really cool,” Barty said. “To be able to have another opportunity to do that now, still being able to play in doubles, is a bonus.”
Azarenka was rattled by her first-round loss at the hands of compatriot Aryna Sabalenka, but like Barty, she has quickly recalibrated and set her sights on achieving a moment of magic in New York.
“We both knew from the beginning of the tournament we are going to play both events,” the 30-year-old said. “Singles will always be both of our priorities, so once that’s out, we are very serious about doubles. I don’t think there’s much of an adjustment. From the beginning, we knew we were going to play both of the events as good as we possibly can.”
A Grand Slam title—in any discipline—could be just what the doctor ordered for Azarenka’s confidence on the singles court.
Azarenka hopes to accomplish a milestone that she’s never achieved before by the week’s end in the Big Apple. The two-time singles and mixed doubles Grand Slam champion has never won a major doubles title. Just two victories away, Azarenka’s confidence is palpable.
“I think we have quite enough experience to believe. I think it kind of comes with experience,” Azarenka told USOpen.org after the pair engineered a dramatic comeback win over top seeds Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic on Day 9. “Ash has been playing incredibly well, she has had a lot of success, so I think we can rely on that rather than just thinking, ‘OK, this is the moment we can actually do it.’ I think we’ve both done it before, so we are kind of just reliving those experiences.”
The pair has had to battle to advance in New York, winning three of their four matches in three sets. They’ve done it with grit and grace under pressure, and a unique tactical approach. Barty and Azarenka like to drop back and play from the baseline against first serves, and as rallies progress, they will suddenly stagger, sending one player to the net mid-rally. Barty’s booming forehand is the backbeat for a steady groove that is enhanced further by Azarenka’s textbook volleys.
The pair hasn’t hit their stride yet, but after Round-of-16 losses at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, this year’s Rome champs have demonstrated an ability to deliver in the clutch.
Crunch time could be clutch time over the weekend for this dynamic duo.
Like Azarenka, Barty is ready to bin her bad singles memories and go full bore for doubles gusto in New York.
“I don’t think there’s much point thinking about what could have been in singles or the what-ifs,” she said. “It’s about switching focus and enjoying the doubles and the fact that we’re still here playing and alive in the US Open.”
