Aryna Sabalenka Dominates in US Open Despite Off-Court Questions
Aryna Sabalenka is not in New York to play along with anyone’s narrative.
After another ruthless demolition job at Arthur Ashe Stadium – a 6-1, 6-1 dismantling of Polina Iatcenko – the double defending US Open champion spent as much energy swatting away a line of questioning as she did her opponent.
Asked again whether the events and appearances around the tournament had been “parties and fun”, the world No.1 bristled.
“You guys are, like, a joke. Parties, fun … like, why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? What kind of question is that?”
she shot back, her patience clearly gone after facing a similar suggestion following her first-round win.
“Just because I posted, like, some activities with brands, and you think that I've been partying, not training?”
she added, cutting the exchange short before it could turn into a full-blown sparring match.
On court, there was no debate. Sabalenka was brutal.
Under the lights on Ashe, she tore through Iatcenko with the cold efficiency of a player who knows exactly what is at stake: a third straight US Open crown and the chance to avoid finishing the season without a major. The scoreline told one story; her body language told another. This is a player on a mission to reclaim something she feels slipped away in the middle of the year.
“I've been working really hard, but I feel like I'm kind of moving away from trying to be perfect on court,”
the four-time grand slam winner said.
“I know that you cannot be perfect, and I'm just trying to work with what I have right now.”
That shift matters. Sabalenka’s game has always been built on raw power and aggression, but her words hint at a different kind of evolution: less obsession with flawless execution, more trust in her own base level. On Thursday, that base level was far too high for Iatcenko.
The context around this run adds an edge. Sabalenka has not lifted a trophy since the Miami Open in March, a drought by her standards and a stark contrast to the dominance that once seemed routine.
“I think I struggled a little bit in the middle of the season,”
the 28-year-old admitted.
“Once again, I'm not going to defend myself or explain why, what happened, but I'm happy with my level.”
She left the reasons there, unpicked, but made one thing clear: the version of Sabalenka now striding through New York is not the one who laboured through that dip.
“I can definitely say that mentally I'm way stronger than I was in the middle of the season, and physically I also feel stronger,”
she said.
“I feel like I'm on my level of play, and I just want to bring the right focus on the match every time.”
The pressure of a three-peat at a major would crush most players. Sabalenka is carrying that weight, the No.1 ranking, and the scrutiny that comes with every post, every appearance, every brand obligation. She insists none of it has touched her preparation.
The tennis backs her up.
If this is the “imperfect” Sabalenka she talks about, the rest of the draw has a serious problem.
