Aryna Sabalenka may have been thrilled for herself following her US Open triumph but also felt deeply for Amanda Anisimova and made sure to send a very encouraging message to the 24-year-old.
On Saturday, No. 1 seed Sabalenka successfully defended her US Open title after beating eighth-seeded Amanda Anisimova 6-4 7-6 (3). For the 27-year-old Belarusian, it was her fourth Grand Slam main glory. On the other side, the American - who made her first Major earlier this summer at Wimbledon and lost to Iga Swiatek - now stands at 0-2 in her Slam finals.
Moments after losing the final, Anisimova became very emotional and she was seen heavily crying on her chair.
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Sabalenka's message to Anisimova: You'll win one and all of this will make it sweeter for you
Congrats Amanda on reaching back-to-back Slam final. I know how much it hurts, losing in the final. But trust me, the moment youre going to win the first one and you are going to win it. You play incredible tennis! Congrats to you and your team on the things youve achieved after your comeback. Girl, youre gonna enjoy it even more after the tough losses in the final," the four-time Grand Slam winner told the 24-year-old American.
If anybody, Sabalenka knows how it feels to fail multiple times on the biggest stage. If you can recall, the Belarusian was once 0-3 in her Grand Slam semifinals and only made her first Major title match at the 2023 Australian Open. In one of her past interviews, she admitted to feeling big pressure in those big Slam matches in the past and that there was a point when she even feared her Slam dreams were over.
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Now, Sabalenka is a multiple Major winner and the top-ranked player in the game.
