{"id":222388,"date":"2025-09-13T02:06:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T02:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/222388\/"},"modified":"2025-09-13T02:06:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T02:06:13","slug":"what-aryna-sabalenka-did-at-the-us-open-which-was-unlike-roger-federer-novak-djokovic-and-serena-williams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/222388\/","title":{"rendered":"What Aryna Sabalenka did at the US Open which was unlike Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Aryna Sabalenka was excellent in New York, finishing her Grand Slam season on a high note.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After defeats in the finals of the Australian Open and French Open, and in the semifinals of Wimbledon<\/a>, Sabalenka had one last chance to win a major in 2025.<\/p>\n

Not willing to let the opportunity slip through her fingers, Sabalenka defeated Amanda Anisimova<\/a> to win her fourth Grand Slam title.<\/p>\n

\"ArynaPhoto by TIMOTHY A.CLARY\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The Belarusian won the championship match in straight sets 6-3, 7-6, but had a far tougher time of things during her semifinal match with home-favorite Jessica Pegula<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on their semifinal clash, Pegula\u2019s coach Mark Knowles claimed Sabalenka<\/a> was doing something extraordinary in the deciding set.<\/p>\n

Mark Knowles was impressed by Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s confidence against Jessica Pegula<\/p>\n

Appearing on the Tennis Channel, Knowles commented on the final set of the semifinal between Pegula and Sabalenka.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the cruelty of tennis, isn\u2019t it, right?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat third set, just one more point. She won 33 points, Aryna [Sabalenka] won 31. Jess [Pegula] was 0-4 on break points. Sabalenka 1-1. Jess dropped serve that first game, 30-40. The one look that Aryna got, she took it, and then Jess didn\u2019t drop another point on serve for the entire set.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think she won 16 consecutive points on serve, all of us saw it, obviously, we were there courtside. The quality was so high.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth players had more winners than unforced errors, and, you know, we were having a couple of those tasty beverages afterwards, reflecting back and, you know, sometimes you have just got to hand it to your opponent, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bahamian coach was impressed with Sabalenka\u2019s confidence in the final set, comparing her offense to some of the sport\u2019s greatest ever players.<\/p>\n

\"ArynaPhoto by Elsa\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cJess has lost some tough matches to Aryna, but it hasn\u2019t been about not executing. We learned a lot from the final last year at the US Open, tried to execute a little differently this year, and, you know, Aryna\u2019s one of those players,\u201d said Knowles.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery big point, it seemed like, especially in that final set, she hit a first ball winner, which, as I told Jess, I\u2019ve been around a lot of greats, [Roger] Federer\u2019s, [Novak] Djokovic\u2019s, Serena [Williams]<\/a>, I don\u2019t recall many players going for first ball winners and playing with that level of confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t complain about it, you have just got to give credit where credit is due.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tough to strategise and compete against, but on the other end, you also have to give Aryna her flowers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knowles wasn\u2019t the only one to give Sabalenka her flowers, as American tennis legend Tracy Austin<\/a> was also there to watch the match.<\/p>\n

Tracy Austin gives her verdict on Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s third-set level vs Jessica Pegula<\/p>\n

Austin, a two-time US Open champion, claimed Sabalenka was \u2018incredible\u2019 in the third set.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in the stadium, and I was kind of right at the baseline level. Jess\u2019s returns were this far inside the baseline, and Sabalenka would just come up with incredible shots back,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll those break points, I felt like Sabalenka didn\u2019t feel the pressure. So when you go back and kind of rehash a match like that, because Jess, in two different games, mid third set, had opportunities. The crowd was so for her.<\/p>\n

\"TracyPhoto by Jeff Overs\/BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know that, and tell me if I\u2019m wrong. I don\u2019t know that I\u2019ve ever seen Jess so fast. She was so quick out of the middle, seemed to get everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, I don\u2019t remember her being that fast as she was out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pegula certainly showed she belonged with the very best on the WTA Tour during this year\u2019s US Open, pushing the world number one and eventual champion all the way on Arthur Ashe.<\/p>\n

The American has a fairly busy schedule planned for the next few months, as she looks to bounce back from her semifinal defeat at Flushing Meadows.<\/p>\n