- Incoming world No 1 defeats Chinese opponent 6-1, 6-4
- ‘I’m super-proud to bring this consistency to my game’
At the beginning of this year, while she was still just one player in a field of challengers, Aryna Sabalenka made her primary goal for the season clear. The Belarusian rarely does things by half measures and so she did not merely want to win her first grand slam tournament, but she embraced the far greater challenge of trying to close the gap on Iga Swiatek and overtake her as the world No 1.
Finally, she has secured that ultimate goal. But the work does not stop. With the No 1 ranking from next week secured, Sabalenka continued to march through the US Open draw as she overpowered Zheng Qinwen of China 6-1, 6-4 to return to the semi-finals for the third consecutive year. “I’m super-proud of myself and my team that we have been able to adjust to different conditions, different courts,” she said. “We were able to bring this consistency in my game.”