Read more: 10 incredible things Aryna Sabalenka achieved by winning this year’s US Open
“Going into this final I decided for myself that I’m going to control my emotions,” Sabalenka said in her post-match press conference, celebrating with a bottle of Moët & Chandon. “I’m not going to let them take control over me, and doesn’t matter what happens in the match. If she break me back or if she plays incredible tennis—of course, it’s a finals, and she’s going to be fighting, especially after recent final, I knew that she would love to have, like, a better result.
“My mindset was just going out there, fight for every point. Doesn’t matter of the situation. Just focus on myself and focus on things that I have to do to win the match. I think from what I understand today, that the lesson learned and I really hope it will never happen again if I’m going to be playing another finals, that I will be more in control.”
Ironically enough, Sabalenka’s renewed mindset has put her back on a trajectory to match and surpass fellow Stella Artois partygoer Sharapova, who won five major titles in her nearly two decades on tour.
