After she first cracked the WTA Top 10 two years ago, Aryna Sabalenka quickly became associated with a less-than-desirable statistic: the highest-ranked player to never reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
The big-hitting Belarusian racked up win after win at WTA tournaments, including five of her 10 career titles in the last 18 months. But that came with a pressure that mounted, and mounted, every time she arrived at one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. So much so, she says, that she started opening up to the sports psychologist that she's worked with since age 18 about what felt like a seemingly impossible hurdle.
But after reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon last month, Sabalenka said on Friday that she can finally turn the page.
"After Wimbledon, I just understand that I don't have to think about winning [a Grand Slam tournament], or final, or [being] in the second week," she said.
"I just have to enjoy my game on each match, just be ready for every match, and make sure I bring my level on the court and do everything I can. This is actually what I changed. I reached the semifinals at Wimbledon, so hopefully, this time, I can do even better."
Now at a career-high world No. 2, she's back in a place where she might just do that. Prior to reaching the last four at Wimbledon, Sabalenka achieved her best result in a major at the US Open. In 2018, she reached the fourth round and became the only player to take a set off Naomi Osaka in the latter's run to the title. Sabalenka also won the doubles crown with Elise Mertens in 2019.
"The US Open is a special Slam for me. I feel different here. I feel like at home," Sabalenka said. "I enjoy the crowd here, and people support me really well here. I'm really looking forward for the first match. It's a special place for me."
The No. 2 seed anchors the bottom half of the women's draw and will open against Serbia's Nina Stojanovic on Monday. She's in the same half of the draw as No. 3 seed Osaka. The two have not played since that fateful meeting under the lights inside Louis Armstrong Stadium three years ago.
Asked to analyze Osaka's effectiveness on hard courts, Sabalenka says the speed of the US Open's courts—she called them "faster than other tournaments"—play to the world No. 3's strengths. But fast courts are perfect for her own first-strike tennis, too. She's second on the WTA in aces to Ashleigh Barty this year, and a semifinal meeting between the two could be a classic.
But as Sabalenka knows now, she's at her best when she takes it one step at a time.
"I can't wait to start playing. Just tired of practicing," she added with a grin. "I feel good. Really happy to be back here, especially with the crowd back. That's something unbelievable."
