Aryna Sabalenka says what was ‘crazy’ about her match with Iga Swiatek and what she wants to see at the US Open

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Aryna Sabalenka appears to be dialing in at the perfect time to avenge the heartbreak she suffered in the US Open final last year.

The Belarusian was forced to rue missed opportunities as Coco Gauff came back to capture the hearts of Americans, becoming the first native teenager to win in New York since Serena Williams in 1999.

However, after an injury-ridden 2024 summer, Sabalenka returned with a statement win at the Cincinnati Open last week.

She bulldozered past fierce rival Iga Swiatek (6-3 6-3) to register her first straight-sets win over the Pole, before seeing off an in-form Jessica Pegula in the final to reclaim the world number two spot.

What did Aryna Sabalenka say about Iga Swiatek?

After storming to victory in Cincinnati, Aryna Sabalenka has become the stand-out favorite for the US Open this year.

She is yet to win a major outside of the back-to-back titles she won at the Australian Open but came agonizingly close at Flushing Meadows last time out.

Ahead of her bid to avenge the gut-wrenching defeat suffered by Gauff last year, Sabalenka has reflected on the rivalries which are developing at the top of the WTA Tour.

“Beating Iga in two sets was crazy and something I’m really happy about,” Sabalenka told The Guardian. “I think it’s something we are working really hard on, to make sure we face each other in the last stages of every tournament – that we keep going with this rivalry between the two of us.

“We cannot forget about [Elena] Rybakina, about [Barbora] Krejcikova, about Coco [Gauff]. And also Paula [Badosa] is coming back from injury and doing really well.

“But I would definitely like to see us competing in the last stages of a tournament as often as possible. I think that’s something cool for women’s tennis, to have several big names always reaching the last stages of the tournament; to see this consistency.”

More WTA inconsistency might be on the horizon at the US Open

Sabalenka’s desire to see more consistency at the top end of the women’s game might – ironically – be undermined by her own skill and determination to succeed at this year’s US Open.

When Gauff soared to glory in 2023, she became the ninth different champion out of the previous 10 editions.

In the same way that Wimbledon has, Flushing Meadows continues to deliver surprises.

However, as Sabalenka taps into some of her most ruthless tennis at the perfect time to claim victory in New York, she may further disrupt the table of consistency that is so desired at the top of women’s tennis.