When Sabalenka's "Tiger" Tamed Himself

Aryna Sabalenka secured her fourth Grand Slam title by winning the women's singles at the US Open. Four titles out of seven finals have been achieved in the last three years, following the Belarusian player's previous frustrations in the professional tennis world.

Sabalenka won the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing Meadows, New York, on Saturday (6/9/2025). She defeated the home player, Amanda Anisimova, with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (3).

This result avenges Sabalenka's defeat to Anisimova when they met in the Wimbledon semifinals two months ago. Meanwhile, Anisimova must wait for another opportunity to win a Grand Slam after losing in the Wimbledon final to Iga Swiatek.

When the victory over Anisimova is quantified, Sabalenka recorded various achievements. She became the first women's singles player to successfully defend the US Open title in the last 11 years.

The last tennis player to achieve this was Serena Williams when she became champion in 2012-2014. Among them, over a span of nine years, the championship title was consistently exchanged among eight players. Only Naomi Osaka has won the title twice, in 2018 and 2020.

The victory over Anisimova brings Sabalenka on par with Osaka, who has four Grand Slam titles from hard court tournaments. In addition to the US Open, Osaka has won the Australian Open titles in 2019 and 2021.

Meanwhile, Sabalenka won the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024, which are part of her 21 professional tournament titles. Among active tennis players, she is only behind Swiatek, who has five Grand Slam titles, and Venus Williams, who has seven titles.

In addition, the US Open title served as a remedy for Sabalenka's disappointment after losing in the finals of the Australian and French Opens. She was defeated by two American players, namely Madison Keys at Melbourne Park and Cori "Coco" Gauff at Roland Garros.

However, there is a deeper meaning beyond that list of achievements. Sabalenka can practice what she learned after losing in the finals of the Australian and French Opens: learning to be patient.

After making that mistake, I forgot about it, took a deep breath, and thought, 'Okay, that has happened, let's focus again on the next one.'

With patience, the 27-year-old tennis player learned to temper her fierce character, much like the tiger tattooed on her left arm since she was 18. Sabalenka chose the tiger because she was born in 1998, which is represented by the tiger in the Chinese calendar. On the court, Sabalenka indeed possesses a character akin to that of a tiger: aggressive and fearless.

That patience was evident when she remained calm at a critical moment against Anisimova. Serving for the championship while leading 5-3, Sabalenka made an unforced error on a shot that should have easily earned her a point. She dipped the ball, which bounced near the net. However, the overhead smash missed the net.

The "old version" of Sabalenka would usually scream in anger at such a moment, but this time she did not react at all. She immediately turned around, refocusing on her next serve to alleviate the pressure. Moreover, the atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium was lively with cheers and applause in support of Anisimova.

"When the ball was in the air, I hesitated. After making that mistake, I forgot about it, took a deep breath, and thought, 'Okay, that happened, let's focus again on the next one.' However, it turned out that Amanda broke my serve," said Sabalenka while laughing as she recounted that odd moment during the press conference.

“Then, it’s time to ‘reset’ again,” he continued.

From a 5-3 lead, Sabalenka turned the tables to fall to 5-6. She eventually managed to escape a third set in a tiebreak. It took 15 minutes, after a mistake in the ninth game, to finally win.

When the final point was won, Sabalenka knelt down in tears. She let out her emotions for a long time until Anisimova came over to hug her.

"I admire her greatly. She truly worked hard to win here. That is Sabalenka," said Anisimova, who was supported by 24,000 spectators in the stadium.

The journey in Flushing Meadows over the course of two weeks, especially in the final, was a time when Sabalenka did not allow negative emotions to take control of her. She drew on her experience from the loss in the French Open final.

After losing to Coco, Sabalenka faced criticism from the public on social media. At that time, Sabalenka stated that her opponent's victory was due to her poor performance, rather than Coco's good play.

Sabalenka apologized and promised not to repeat the mistake. Then, at the next tournament, Wimbledon, Sabalenka demonstrated a good relationship by dancing together with Coco and uploaded the video on social media.

"I was really wrong. It was a big lesson for me, but it helped me change in many ways," Sabalenka said.

Sabalenka reached this stage after having considered leaving tennis three years ago. She was frustrated after repeatedly losing to players ranked below her.

"There was a phase when I thought, 'Okay, I'm done. It's time for me to leave tennis and choose another path,'" said Sabalenka reflecting on her journey in 2022.

Her frustration began at the start of the year. At the Australian Open, Sabalenka was eliminated by unseeded player Kaia Kanepi in the fourth round while being the second seed.

Prior to her appearance at Melbourne Park, Sabalenka had lost her first match in two tournaments in Adelaide. She lost in the second round of Adelaide I, making 18 double faults, and then was eliminated in the first round of Adelaide II, making 21 double faults.

In the competition at the French Open as the seventh seed, Sabalenka lost to Camila Giorgi in the third round and did not win a single game in the third set.

After being barred from competing at Wimbledon due to the ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus in connection with the attack on Ukraine, Sabalenka reached the semifinals of the US Open. However, this time, she was stopped by Swiatek.

At the end of the year, Sabalenka had a significant opportunity to secure her first major title when she reached the final of the ATP Finals tournament, which featured only the top eight players of the year. At that time, her major competitors such as Swiatek and Coco were eliminated in the semifinals and the group stage. However, Caroline Garcia dashed her dreams.

Three years after going through a frustrating phase, Sabalenka has secured four Grand Slam titles. Her position at the top of the world rankings since October 21, 2024, has remained unchallenged by other players.

His fierce nature is as powerful as his shots on the court. His average forehand topspin speed, at 128.7 km/h, is faster than the two men's tennis players who will compete in the US Open final, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner's forehand averages 125.5 km/h, while Alcaraz's is 127 km/h.

Paired with her ability to consistently hit at the same speed, Sabalenka can put pressure on her opponents from the baseline. Her style of play is reminiscent of her idol, Serena, who plays with power.

Sabalenka has also improved her serving technique by incorporating biomechanics expert, Gavin MacMillan, into her coaching team. MacMillan's input, who is currently part of Coco's coaching team, has made Sabalenka known as a player with a serve that is difficult to return. Her highest serve speed in the US Open final was 188 km/h, while Anisimova's was 181 km/h.

Technical ability and efforts to rebuild motivation began to bear fruit when he won his first Grand Slam title at the 2023 Australian Open. This marked his first final at the highest level of competition in professional tennis.

The addition of three titles from Australia and the US Open has established him as a hard court specialist tennis player. Nevertheless, his performance on other surfaces cannot be overlooked.

She reached the final of the French Open 2025 despite losing to Coco and made it to the semifinals of Wimbledon in her last three participations, in 2021, 2023, and 2025. It is possible that Sabalenka is just waiting for the right moment to win the French Open and Wimbledon. Her chances are quite favorable given the open competition in the women's singles.

The coaching staff believes that what Sabalenka has achieved in the last three years, particularly at the 2025 US Open, is a reflection of her growing maturity.

"Everyone knows that Aryna is an athlete and an emotional person. What she feels becomes the determining factor in what she will do. As she matures and gains experience, she increasingly understands how to control those emotions," said Sabalenka's physical coach, Jason Stacy.

Anton Dubrov, who was once a training partner on the team and became a coach since 2020, believes that the balance between on-field needs and off-field life has also influenced Sabalenka's positive journey.

"When work and personal life are balanced, it is very helpful because athletes will feel more comfortable on the field. Aryna's life off the field greatly contributes to her calmness," said Dubrov. (AFP/AP)