Sabalenka Says Win Over Swiatek 'Gave Me A Lot Of Confidence Going To US Open'
WTA
Aryna Sabalenka has had a few interesting weeks on the WTA Tour, but her most recent match was certainly a statement victory from which she will draw a lot of inspiration.
The Belarusian player has been in North America for a while, but it wasn't until this week that she truly discovered her best tennis. Her run in Cincinnati has been hugely impressive, both in general and compared to her level in the previous two weeks when she was beaten by players of a lesser rank.
This time around, Sabalenka was able to do the opposite as she beat a higher-ranked player in the semi-final of the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, none other than the World No. 1 player, Iga Swiatek.
The Polish player was playing on a decent level herself, but Sabalenka just outshone her in their semi-final clash. At one point, she was up 6-3, 5-1, about as dominant as possible against Swiatek.
Still, the Pole didn't give up and had a minor push after that, which Sabalenka admitted was the toughest part of the match for her.
"That was definitely the toughest moment of the match. I kept telling myself, ‘she’s world number one. She’s gonna keep fighting and trying her best. You gotta stay aggressive. You gotta put her under pressure. You’ve gotta play your tennis and just go for it.’ That was kind of my mentality in the tough moments."
Sabalenka was in the zone, especially on her serve. She allowed Swiatek only six out of 30 points behind her first serve, and that's an incredible stat against one of the best returners on the WTA Tour.
When asked about that mark, the Belarusian said that when she's playing as well as she was, she does not think about anything. She turns into a machine.
"Honestly nothing. There are zero thoughts. Only about tennis. About the next ball coming. Just hitting and trying to make the right decisions. There’s nothing in your head. You’re just in the zone."
The win has plenty of practical implications beyond just sending her to the Cincinnati Open final. The mental aspect of this victory should not be underestimated. The US Open is coming up soon, and this win was a huge confidence boost for Sabalenka ahead of the last major of the season.
It's exactly what she needed after two poor losses. When it comes to Swiatek, it probably doesn't feel really good, but as Sabalenka said, they quickly forget these results because the past doesn't matter. It's all about that next match in tennis, and she's also focusing on that.
"This definitely gave me a lot of confidence going to the US Open. But it’s already in the past... if I’m gonna focus on this win, I’m gonna be staying in the past. I’m really happy with the win."
"It was a brilliant performance from me. But I just want to focus on staying in the moment and bringing my best tennis every time I’m on the court. Trying to stay calm, confident, and aggressive on the court."
Sabalenka's next match will be the final of the 2024 Cincinnati Open against Jessica Pegula, who is on a nine-match winning streak, coming into the final match.
