Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus secured her third Grand Slam title by defeating American Jessica Pegula in the 2024 US Open final, adding to her previous victories at the Australian Open. When reflecting on her place in tennis history, Sabalenka mentioned that this goal has been a driving force within her ever since the loss of her father.
Following her US Open victory, the 26-year-old Sabalenka shared with the media:
“After I lost my father, it’s always been my goal to put our family name in the history of tennis. Every time I see my name on that trophy, I’m so proud of myself—I’m proud of my family, that they never gave up on my dream, that they were doing everything they could to keep me going and so I had this opportunity in life. It really means a lot. It’s been always my dream.”
Her father, Sergey Sabalenka, passed away suddenly in 2019 at the age of 43 due to meningitis. Sergey played a pivotal role in Aryna’s life, introducing her to tennis at the age of six by chance. He became an influential figure in her early tennis career.
In the post-match interview after her triumph at the 2024 US Open final, Sabalenka, who had been the runner-up the previous year, expressed her emotions about winning in New York: “Oh my God, I’m speechless right now. So many times I was so close to get the US Open title; it has always been a dream of mine. Finally, I got this beautiful trophy. It means a lot.”
She also had kind words for her opponent, Jessica Pegula, acknowledging the challenges of losing in a final and offering encouragement for Pegula’s future success in the sport.
