Tennis-'Tiger' Sabalenka turns a corner in New York after Grand Slam final letdowns

By Janina Nuno Rios

young house of york, Sept 6 - U.S. Open up defend Aryna Sabalenka may be nicknamed "The panthera tigris", but her New York triumph on Saturday was less about raw aggression and more poise, as the world number one steadied herself and regrouped in key moments to claim a fourth Grand Slam title.

Determined to become the first woman since American great Serena Williams to defend her crown at Flushing Meadows, the Belarusian carried the weight of recent major setbacks to claim a 6-3 7-6 win over Amanda Anisimova in the final and retain her crown.

After final defeats at Melbourne and Paris, and a Wimbledon semi-final setback against Anisimova, Sabalenka turned all that disappointment into fuel, earning the right to show up to her press conference in party mode, goggles perched on her head and a bottle of champagne in hand.

"After the Australian Open I thought that the right way would be just to forget it and move on, but then the same thing happened at the French Open. So I figured that, okay, maybe it's time for me to sit back and to look at those finals and to maybe learn something," an ecstatic Sabalenka told reporters.

"Going into this final I decided for myself that I'm going to control my emotions. I'm not going to let them take control over me, and doesn't matter what happens in the match.

"My mindset was just going out there, fight for every point. Doesn't matter of the situation. Just focus on myself and focus on things that I have to do to win the match."

The occasion seemed ripe for Sabalenka to crumble under the roar of a partisan Arthur Ashe crowd cheering her American opponent, but the 27-year-old showed that she was equipped to prevail in the toughest moments.

Sabalenka was serving for the match when she gifted Anisimova a break with a flubbed smash in what seemed a pivotal momentum shift. Yet the top seed did not miss when it mattered the most, winning a record 19th straight tiebreak.

"There were moments where I was really close to losing control, but I told myself, 'No, it's not going to happen. It's absolutely okay'," Sabalenka said.

"I was really close to losing it, because you cannot make these kinds of mistakes on important points. Sometimes it can be crucial, from my experience.

"But then I turn around and I took a deep breath in, and I was, like, okay, it happens. It's in the past. Let's focus on the next one."

Sabalenka added that her milestone 100th Grand Slam match win carried extra weight because of the road it took to get there.

"You know, this one felt like I had to overcome a lot of things to get this one," she said. "I knew that the hard work we put in, like, I deserved to have a Grand Slam title this season.

"It means a lot to defend this title and to bring such great tennis on the court. To bring the fight and be able to handle my emotions the way I did in this final, it means a lot. I’m super proud right now of myself."

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