Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka makes history as the first woman to qualify in back-to-back US Open finals after Serena Williams in 2019.
According to Hindustan Times, Sabalenka defeated American tennis player Emma Navarro, 6-3 7-6 (7-2) on Thursday, September 5, at Arthur Ashe Stadium to qualify for the consecutive finals of the tournament.
After the triumph against a US player in New York, Sabalenka said, “I worked really hard on my mindset on the match. I think I made really huge improvements on that calmness in those crucial moments. Even if things are not working well for me, I still keep doing the right things, and I'm staying in control.”
She further added, “I'm really proud, I'm actually really proud of myself that I was able to get to the point when I'm in control of my emotions. I was like, ‘OK, Aryna, you have to stay focused. Stay in your thoughts. Focus on yourself. And, yeah, I was thinking a lot.”
The 26-year-old asserted that she has learnt her lesson ‘from last year’ and is ready to face anyone in the finals.
She expressed hoped to ‘do a little bit better than’ the last year.
Sabalenka lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the US Open 2023 final to American tennis player CoCo Gauff.
