Aryna Sabalenka Dominates Iatcenko at US Open
Aryna Sabalenka walked off Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday having dropped just two games and even less patience.
The world No.1 dismantled qualifier Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1, a brutal, businesslike win that underlined exactly why she is chasing a third straight US Open crown. Then came the press conference – and the only real contest of her night.
Sabalenka bristles at “parties and fun” line
For the second time this week, Sabalenka was asked whether the off-court demands of New York – events, sponsor work, the usual grand slam circus – had veered into “parties and fun”.
She did not hide her irritation.
“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.
The Belarusian, who has been visible on social media at various brand activities around the tournament, rejected the suggestion that any of it had cut into her preparation.
“Just because I posted, like, some activities with brands, and you think that I've been partying, not training?” she said, abruptly ending the exchange.
If anyone needed evidence of where her priorities lie, it had just played out under the lights.
Ruthless on court, relaxed in mindset
Against Iatcenko, Sabalenka looked every bit the double defending champion. The power off both wings, the depth, the weight of shot – all there. The scoreline told its own story, but she sounded most satisfied with what can’t be measured by a radar gun.
“I've been working really hard, but I feel like I'm kind of moving away from trying to be perfect on court,” she said. “I know that you cannot be perfect, and I'm just trying to work with what I have right now.”
That shift matters. Earlier in the season, the pursuit of perfection seemed to tighten her game. Now, with New York’s hard courts beneath her feet again, she talks like a player who has made peace with the chaos that comes with big-stage tennis.
Fighting to avoid a major-less season
Sabalenka arrived in New York with an unusual gap on her 2024 résumé: no grand slam titles so far this year. Her last trophy came in March at the Miami Open. For a four-time major champion who has set the standard on hard courts, that is a drought.
“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 insisted the turbulence is behind her.
“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. I feel like I'm on my level of play, and I just want to bring the right focus on the match every time.”
That “right focus” now stands between her and a slice of history. No woman has won three straight US Open titles since Serena Williams. Sabalenka is two weeks away from that conversation becoming very real.
The questions about “parties and fun” will keep coming in New York. If she keeps playing like this, they’ll be drowned out by a louder one: who, exactly, is going to stop her?
