Aryna Sabalenka posted a 94.7 p.c win charge on the Grand Slam degree this 12 months and that makes it the perfect win charge for the reason that one Serena Williams had in 2015.
This 12 months, the Belarusian tennis star had her greatest season Slam-wise, having landed two Majors. In the beginning of the 12 months, the 26-year-old defended her Australian Open title in model after not dropping a single set in seven matches performed at Melbourne Park.
Aryna Sabalenka© YouTube screenshot
4 months later, Sabalenka additionally made a promising begin to her French Open run, successful her opening 4 matches in straight units to enhance to 11-0 in Grand Slams in 2024. However then, the world No. 1 suffered her first Slam lack of the 12 months after rising star Mirra Andreeva upset her 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-4. Nonetheless, it ought to be famous that the 26-year-old acquired therapy throughout that match and later revealed that she was battling a abdomen bug.
Going into Wimbledon, Sabalenka had a 11-1 report on the Slam stage and was set to be one of many high favorites for the title. Sadly, she sustained an unlucky shoulder damage at the beginning of the grass season and wasn’t in a position to compete at The Championships.
When the time got here for the US Open, the Belarusian was once more wholesome and in nice type and it resulted in her successful all of it at Flushing Meadows with only one misplaced set through the fortnight. She ended her Grand Slam 12 months with an 18-1 report.
9 years in the past, Williams additionally had a season throughout which she solely misplaced one Main match – that 12 months, she received the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon earlier than dropping within the US Open semifinal. She posted a 26-1 Slam report that 12 months and had a 96.2 p.c win charge.
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) December 10, 2024 Sabalenka was decided to indicate everybody that her first Slam wasn’t a fluke
After struggling for years to turn out to be a Grand Slam champion, the Belarusian lastly made her massive breakthrough on the 2023 Australian Open after getting back from a set all the way down to beat Elena Rybakina within the last. In the remainder of 2023, she had three extra deep runs on that degree however did not win any titles after dropping to Coco Gauff within the US Open last and in addition exiting the French Open and Wimbledon within the semifinal.
Coming into 2024, Sabalenka was on a mission – she wished to get that second Main and do not depart the room for anybody to label her “a one-Slam wonder.” And in Melbourne, she was completely spectacular as she clinched a number of very dominant wins and did not enable anybody to come back even close to beating her.
“Yeah, actually it’s been in my mind that I didn’t want to be that player who win it and then disappeared. I just wanted to show that I’m able to be consistently there and I’m able to win another one. I really hope that more, more than two right now, but for me was really important,” she stated after sealing back-to-back US Open titles.
After ousting Zheng Qinwen 6-3 6-2 within the Australian Open, Sabalenka had it approach more durable within the US Open last however nonetheless managed to beat residence favourite Jessica Pegula 7-5 7-5. However there was one cause why she felt so tense – a 12 months earlier – the Belarusian was up by a set over Coco Gauff within the last at Flushing Meadows earlier than collapsing and dropping in three.
“I would definitely say that this is, like, it was the best moment, one of the best moments. Like, so many things was going through my mind. The first one was that, all those tough losses in the past, and I was just, like, so proud of myself and proud of my team that no matter what, we were able to come back stronger and come back with the better tennis,” Sabalenka admitted following her win.
Aryna Sabalenka© YouTube screenshot
Earlier than successful her first Slam, the world No. 1 misplaced three Main semifinals. These losses very extraordinarily painful however she discovered classes from them and received the dear expertise.
“Well, I think it’s all come with experience, as I said. There is not going to be big wins without really tough losses. Of course I was very down after those matches. I was crying, I was smashing the racquet, as we see. I was really crazy. But then, like, later on after day or two, we sit down with the team, thinking, okay, what we have to do to fix it and to make sure this will never happen again. So it’s always a process, and as they say, you just to enjoy the process and trust the process and believe that next time you’ll do better,” Sabalenka famous.
