Sabalenka looks for 'things which bring joy' at US Open

Aryna Sabalenka says she has been trying to find "things which bring joy" arsenic she intends to extremity a challenging twelvemonth pinch her first US Open title.

The world number 2 emphatically defended her Australian Open title successful January to commencement nan twelvemonth strongly.

However, successful March nan Belarusian's erstwhile boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, died successful what Sabalenka called "an unthinkable tragedy".

The 26-year-old opted to proceed playing - and says, pinch hindsight, that she should person taken a break., external

Sabalenka struggled pinch a tummy problem successful her French Open quarter-final conclusion and had to retreat from Wimbledon a fewer weeks later pinch a enarthrosis injury.

After missing a period to recover, she returned to nan WTA Tour successful early August and won nan Cincinnati Open title past week.

"I deliberation decidedly aft this year, mentally I will go moreover stronger," she said connected Friday.

"Looking back, I decidedly deliberation that I should person conscionable stopped and separated myself from tennis, conscionable person this small break and recharge and commencement things complete again.

"I deliberation I benignant of overplayed, and I carried a lot."

Sabalenka reached nan last astatine Flushing Meadows past year, losing to Coco Gauff successful 3 sets.

She started nan twelvemonth successful awesome form, defending her Australian Open title without dropping a group and taking conscionable 76 minutes to hit Zheng Qinwen successful nan final.

She has often been seen joking pinch her coaching squad and began a pre-match contented of penning her signature connected her fittingness trainer Jason Stacy's caput successful Melbourne.

Sabalenka said her characteristic comes from her father, Sergey, a erstwhile crystal lucky subordinate who died successful 2019 and who she counts arsenic her biggest motivation.

"I wish he would beryllium still alive. I deliberation we would person truthful overmuch nosy together correct now," she said.

"Before, I was astir apt excessively overmuch into tennis and trying to beryllium excessively focused, putting myself nether truthful overmuch pressure.

"Lately, I conscionable realised that this is not really things work. You person to equilibrium this difficult work, these expectations, pressure, and everything, pinch [a] small joy.

"You person to find things which bring you joy, and I person my crazy squad and we person truthful overmuch nosy together."

The US Open originates connected Monday, pinch dense title favourite Sabalenka opening her run against qualifier Priscilla Hon.