Aryna Sabalenka faces repeat of US Open nightmare that haunted her for months
Aryna Sabalenka faces Jessica Pegula in the US Open final.
Aryna Sabalenka will have to conquer her nightmares in the US Open final as she faces Jessica Pegula on Saturday.
Twelve months ago, the world No. 2 lost to Coco Gauff in the championship match and struggled to cope when the American crowd cheered for their own.
It haunted Sabalenka for months, as she continued to bring up the hostile environment when she faced Gauff again this year.
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Sabalenka will have another shot at the trophy in Flushing Meadows a year after she blew a one-set lead over Gauff in the championship match. But it won’t get any easier - she faces another American in Jessica Pegula.
Last year, Belarusian was visibly frustrated having to battle the fans as well as her opponent. During her runner-up speech, a tearful Sabalenka told the crowd: “You guys could've supported me like this during the match.”
The lack of support stayed with her - when Sabalenka got revenge over Gauff in the Australian Open semi-final more than four months later, she was still thinking about the one-sided spectators in New York. “I appreciate all the support and the atmosphere. You make this place really special for me,” she told the Aussies.
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“At the US Open they were crazy. It's motivation, but sometimes it's getting really annoying because they scream during the point. And I totally understand that. Today I knew that probably people will be supporting me more than her, and it was really nice to feel the kind of support she had at the US Open.”
But Sabalenka likely won’t feel any of that when she faces Pegula in Saturday’s final. The two-time Grand Slam champion has already had another taste of what it feels like to play an American player in Flushing Meadows.
She beat Emma Navarro 6-3 7-6(2) in Thursday’s semi-final and addressed the lack of encouragement she received from the fans. She finally earned some cheers after the match when Pam Shriver announced that she was back in another final and shrugged in disbelief. “Well guys, now you are cheering me. Well, it’s a bit too late,” she laughed.
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It will get even tougher in the next round, as the American crowd will try to push Pegula on to win her first Grand Slam title. But after last year’s nightmare, it seems Sabalenka is learning to deal with the hostile environment. After she beat Navarro, she said: “I mean, like last year it was very tough experience, very tough lesson.
“Today in the match, I was, like, No, no, no, Aryna, it's not going to happen again. You have to control your emotions. You have to focus on yourself. There was people supporting for me. I was trying to focus on them. I'm thinking, come on, there is so many people supporting you. There is your team in the box. There is your family. Just focus on yourself and try to - not try - just fight for it.”
