‘When there is someone chasing you, that just makes you stronger’: Aryna Sabalenka

New Delhi: For Aryna Sabalenka, the final point of the 2025 US Open was not followed by an immediate celebration. It was followed by stillness.She had just served for the championship against Amanda Anisimova when the American’s backhand return went wide. That was it. The battle was over. Sabalenka had won 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), successfully defended her US Open crown and, in the process, become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to win back-to-back women’s singles titles in New York.But the world No. 1 did not immediately leap into the air. She dropped to her knees, covered her face with her palm and stayed there on her haunches for what seemed like an eternity — around a minute — trying to absorb what she had just accomplished. The emotion was raw. The relief was unmistakable. Then, slowly, she rose and acknowledged the applause cascading down from the Arthur Ashe Stadium stands.Now, as she returns to Flushing Meadows for the 2026 edition, Sabalenka is chasing something even bigger: a third consecutive US Open crown. And remarkably, she does not sound weighed down by the magnitude of it.“I’m super excited. It’s always a great time to be in New York, and I’m happy to be back in this beautiful stadium. I just cannot wait to play my first match,” Sabalenka said in quotes exclusively facilitated to TOI ahead of the tournament.Twice now Sabalenka has walked off the Arthur Ashe Stadium a champion, the first was in 2024 when she got the better of another American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in a final that was decided by fine margins and finer nerve.The competition around her is fiercer than ever, with rivals like Coco Gauff (2023 champion), Iga Swiatek (2022 champion), 2026 Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina (Australian Open winner), Mirra Andreeva (French Open winner), Linda Noskova (Wimbledon winner), and Americans like Pegula and Anisimova pushing the boundaries of intensity. Sabalenka, however, welcomes the challenge.“It (competition) always pushes you for the better,” Sabalenka said. “I think that’s the beauty of a sport. When there is someone chasing you or you have a target on your back, that just makes you stronger, and that really pushes you to work super hard, and that’s why I love sport.”Perhaps the most intriguing part of Sabalenka’s evolution has happened away from the court. The “intensity” that once threatened to consume her playing career has gradually been balanced by an appreciation for life beyond tennis.“I’ve always said that it’s really important to balance one’s life both on and off the court, because, on the court, it’s very intense and super aggressive, and there is no time for little, soft moments, and you have to be strong all the time. But then off the court, it’s all about having fun, doing things you like, just to feel a little bit more relaxed off the court.”And New York, as it turns out, gives her exactly that release. Between matches, there is a version of Sabalenka that exists away from the baseline, wandering the city she has made her own for a fortnight each year.“I love a lot of things. First of all, I love the crowds here, and, you know, when they cheer for you, it’s the best feeling. I love to be in New York. I love to do some shopping when possible. I love to go for good dinners here. I love the city for two or three weeks. I feel like this city also pushes you to work hard and stay motivated,” she said.Tune-in: Catch all the action of the US Open 2026 live on JioHotstar and Star Sports