Aryna Sabalenka dedicates US Open title to family 'who never gave up' on dream

Aryna Sabalenka, aged 26, dedicated her US Open victory to her family, who "never gave up on my dream," following her third Grand Slam title in a year marked by personal challenges.

Ranked as the world number two, Sabalenka triumphed over Jessica Pegula with a score of 7-5, 7-5, securing her first title in New York to complement her consecutive Australian Open championships.

This US Open marked her first Grand Slam win since the passing of her former boyfriend in March; she had reached the quarterfinals at the French Open and was unable to compete at Wimbledon due to injury.

Konstantin Koltsov, a former NHL star, tragically died by apparent suicide at the age of 42.

Five years prior, Sabalenka's father, Sergiy, succumbed to meningitis at the young age of 43.

"Since the loss of my father, my aspiration has been to etch our family name into the annals of tennis history," the Belarusian stated.

"Each time I see my name inscribed on that trophy, I feel immense pride in myself and in my family for their unwavering support of my dream and their relentless efforts to keep me motivated.

"This opportunity in life holds great significance for me. It has always been my aspiration."

On Saturday, Sabalenka showcased her powerful serve and formidable groundstrokes to overcome the sixth-ranked Pegula.

With 40 winners, her tournament total reached 205, including 36 aces. She recorded the third-fastest serve of the event at 191.5 km/h (119 mph).

"I understand that I must take risks; that is the only approach that works for me," Sabalenka remarked.

"Whenever I hesitate, the ball tends to fly into the stands, so I resolved long ago that in crucial moments, I must take the initiative and swing."

Conversely, Pegula's defeat came during a tumultuous year for the former world number three.

After expressing feelings of burnout following the Australian Open, she was sidelined by a rib injury that prevented her from participating in the European clay court season, including the French Open.

She signaled her return to competitive play by clinching the grass-court title in Berlin.

"In Berlin, I felt incredibly refreshed and eager to win these matches, and I was quite motivated," Pegula remarked.

Following second-round exits at Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics, Pegula surged to victory in Toronto and secured the runner-up position against Sabalenka in Cincinnati.

She concluded the US summer hardcourt season with an impressive record of 15 wins out of 17 matches.

Pegula draws confidence from her performance
Pegula had previously experienced six losses in Grand Slam quarter-finals before finally advancing to this year's US Open championship match.

Notably, four of those defeats were against the eventual tournament winners.

In 2022, she was defeated by Ashleigh Barty at the Australian Open and by Iga Swiatek at both Wimbledon and the US Open.

At last year's Wimbledon, Marketa Vondrousova eliminated her in the quarter-finals before the Czech player went on to win the title.

"I lost to another exceptional player today," she stated on Saturday.

"I have faced opponents who ultimately won the tournament each time. I had a challenging start to the year and did not anticipate performing this well during the hard-court season, but I managed to turn that around.

"I will carry a great deal of confidence from this experience."