Aryna Sabalenka promised the US Open crowd free drinks if they supported her during her semifinal clash against American Emma Navarro. Despite the crowd’s evident preference for the home favorite, Sabalenka, showing her playful side, pledged to fulfill her promise anyway.
Sabalenka dominated the match, defeating Navarro 6-3, 7-6(2), yet the Belarusian was aware of the partisan atmosphere. During the post-match interview, she couldn’t resist a cheeky taunt directed at the audience for their overwhelming support for Navarro. Sabalenka teased the fans, joking about how they finally started cheering for her too late. However, she promised them free margaritas, holding up her end of the bargain.
“Well guys, now you are cheering for me. It’s a bit too late. No, no, no. That [getting into back-to-back finals] means a lot and even though you guys were supporting her, I got goosebumps seeing you cheering up her. There was an incredible atmosphere, I really enjoyed playing… Margaritas for everyone from Dobel Tequila!” Sabalenka said during her on-court interview.
The match wasn’t without tension, as Navarro pushed Sabalenka hard, especially in the second set, which forced a tiebreak. As the match neared a potential decider, the crowd rallied even louder behind Navarro, hoping she could turn things around. But Sabalenka kept her composure, winning the tiebreak 7-2 and sealing the match in straight sets.
Reflecting on her performance, Sabalenka said, “Last year, it was a very tough experience. Very tough lesson. Today in the match, I was, like, ‘No, no, no, Aryna. It’s not going to happen again. You have to control your emotions. You have to focus on yourself.’ There was people supporting for me; I was trying to focus on them. I’m thinking, ‘Come on. There’s so many people supporting you. There is your team in the box. There is your family. Just focus on yourself and try to — not try, just fight for it.'”
The victory makes Sabalenka the first woman since Serena Williams in 2018 and 2019 to reach consecutive US Open finals. She now turns her attention to the final, where she will face Jessica Pegula. With a maiden US Open title on the line, Sabalenka declared she wasn’t too concerned about her opponent. Instead, her focus is solely on clinching the title.
Sabalenka at the U.S. Open, ranking, and results in 2024
Now ranked no.2, the Belarussian has a compiled 45-11 win-loss record in 2024. The Belarussian is participating at the U.S. Open where she conquered the world no.203 Priscilla Hon 6-3 6-3, the world no.76 Lucia Bronzetti 6-3 6-1, the world no.31 Ekaterina Alexandrova 2-6 6-1 6-2, the world no.35 Elise Mertens 6-2 6-4, the world no.7 Qinwen Zheng 6-1 6-2
and the world no.12 Emma Navarro 6-3 7-6(2).Aryna Sabalenka will compete against the world no.318 Petra Kvitova in the final on Saturday at 6:00 pm on CENTRE COURT. Their current head to head is 3-2 for Kvitova.
Aryna clinched 2 titles in 2024 at the Australian Open and Cincinnati. The Belarussian reached the final in Brisbane (Brisbane International), in Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open) and in Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia).
Aryna won 15 titles in her career: 11 on hard courts, 2 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Emma Navarro in 2024
Currently the world no.12 (career-high), Emma played her last match on the 5th of September when she lost to world no.2 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 7-6(2) in the semifinal of the U.S. Open (draw).
At the moment, during this season Navarro has managed to achieve a 52-21 record. Emma has won 1 title in Hobart. The American was the runner-up in the Paris.
Navarro has won 1 title in 2024 in Hobart. The American reached the final in the Paris.
Aryna Sabalenka and Emma Navarro played each other 3 times. Their record is 2-1 for Sabalenka. Previously, the last time they squared off, Aryna Sabalenka won 6-3 7-6(2) in the semifinal in New York (U.S. Open) on the 5th of September 2024.
Here are the highlights.
Aryna Sabalenka and Emma Navarro |
| Embed from Getty Images |