After winning the Australian Open earlier in the season, Aryna Sabalenka advanced to her maiden US Open final, her second Grand Slam final after Melbourne.
Aryna displayed an amusing incident during the semifinal match against Madison Keys, who lost despite being ahead 6-0, 5-3 and serving for the match when leading 5-4 in the second set.
Sabalenka thought she had won the third set’s tie-break. The moment occurred at the conclusion of a rally, when the score was 7-3. The player dropped her racket and began to celebrate with her hands in front of her face.
She understood she was wrong after looking at her corner. Since it was a deciding set of a slam, she needed to win 10 points, not 7. Aryna was surprised, but she quickly focused again, and soon she was able to celebrate her achievement.
Here is the video.
Now she can laugh about it 😅
Aryna Sabalenka thought she had it won at 7-3. pic.twitter.com/hi5S42hM2T
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2023
Sabalenka at the U.S. Open, ranking, and results in 2023
LWWWWWWWWW Now the world no.2 (career-high), Aryna achieved a compiled 50-10 record in 2023. Aryna is currently competing at the U.S. Open where she bested the world no.112 Maryna Zanevska 6-3 6-2, the world no.96 Jodie Anna Burrage 6-3 6-2, the world no.62 Clara Burel 6-1 6-1, the world no.14 Daria Kasatkina 6-1 6-3, the world no.23 Qinwen Zheng 6-1 6-4 and the world no.17 Madison Keys 0-6 7-61 7-65.
Aryna Sabalenka will take on the world no.6 Coco Gauff in the final. Their current head to head is 3-2 for Gauff.
The Belarussian has won 3 titles in 2023 in Adelaide, Australian Open and Madrid. Sabalenka was the runner-up in Indian Wells (BNP Paribas Open) and in Stuttgart (Porsche Tennis Grand Prix).
The Belarussian won 13 titles in her career: 9 on hard courts, 2 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Madison Keys in 2023
LWWLWWLLWW Now ranked no.17, Madison played her last match on the 7th of September when she was overcome by world no.2 Aryna Sabalenka 0-6 7-6(1) 7-6(5) in the semifinal of the U.S. Open (draw).
This year the American achieved a composed 33-12 win-loss record. The American has won 2 titles in 2023 in Australia and Eastbourne.
Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys faced off 4 times. Their actual head to head record is 3-1 for Sabalenka. The last time they locked horns, Aryna Sabalenka won 0-6 7-6(1) 7-6(5) in the semifinal in New York (U.S. Open) on the 7th of September 2023.
You can see them in action in the following highlights.
