Aryna Sabalenka is so powerful that she was hitting her forehand harder than her male counterparts at the US Open.
The Belarusian lost just one set on the way to claiming her first title in New York and banished the pain and agony of losing the 2023 final to Coco Gauff.
Sabalenka has even drawn some comparisons to Serena Williams with her dominant and ruthless style of play as she claimed her third Grand Slam title.
Aryna Sabalenka has claimed two of the majors in 2024 and she is going in search of ending the seasons as the World number one.
Aryna Sabalenka shares why she was hitting forehands than Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open
Sabalenka has raised eyebrows at the US Open when reports started she was registering forehand speeds of 129 km/h, the fastest in the tournament for women and men.
This is faster than the numbers reached by Carlos Alcaraz, (127 km/h), Jannik Sinner (126 km/h) and Novak Djokovic (122 km/h).
During an interview with Championat, her coach Anton Dubrov offered an explanation for how his player was able to reach these levels of power.
“She just eats well (smiles). There are many factors here. First of all, Aryna trains and clearly understands what she needs – we are trying to move in this direction,” he explained. “We try to transfer everything that happens at the match as close as possible to training, so that she does everything automatically.
“Secondly, girls hit softer. Sometimes Aryna has more time, and she can accelerate. Finally, the guys have longer matches. They will structure a match, understanding that five sets is a possibility. And if you start hitting hard right away, will you be able to sustain this level?
“They feel out the game more to understand where and what they can do, while spending less energy. Girls are more attacking, as the rallies are less. But this does not change the fact that Aryna can hit the ball hard.”
Can Aryna Sabalenka continues her winning run at the China Open
Sabalenka is currently on a 14-match winning run and she is showing no signs of slowing down.
She conceded just four games to Ashlyn Krueger in the China Open last 16 in what was 48th victory of the season and her 39th overall career win in China.
Sabalenka has won four titles in China, but none since 2019 and she is aiming for her first Beijing title this week.
“Maybe right now I’m not playing my best, best tennis,” Sabalenka said. “But I think the way I’m controlling my emotions and the way I’m holding myself sometimes really helping me to stay in most of the matches, in those difficult situations to keep fighting and keep playing my best tennis.”
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