US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka is as good as it gets on hard courts but isn’t just a hard hitter

NEW YORK (AP) - Even after winning her first U.S. Open championship for a third Grand Slam title, Aryna Sabalenka made clear she doesn’t consider herself a finished product.

"Hopefully one day we're gonna see me serve-and-volley," she said with a hearty laugh. "I'm not sure I'm brave enough to do that, but maybe once I will come up with this 'Plan C.' Hopefully we'll never need it, but whatever. Whatever it takes."

Sabalenka reminded everyone with her 7-5, 7-5 victory over Jessica Pegula at Flushing Meadows in the final Saturday that she is as good as it gets on hard courts these days. The No. 2-ranked Sabalenka is 27-1 on that surface at majors over the past two seasons, with two Australian Open trophies in that span and a run to the 2023 U.S. Open final before losing to Coco Gauff.

The 26-year-old from Belarus also provided just the latest example of how powerful her serve and groundstrokes are - her forehand speeds at the U.S. Open were higher than all women and men in the tournament - and how they can overwhelm an opponent.

Even when the stakes are the highest, she can truly come through.

"I mean, I know that I have to go for it. That's the only way it works for me, because every time I'm trying to play safer … I stop my arms, and the ball flies in the stands," Sabalenka said. "So a long time ago, I decided for myself: In those important moments, I just have to go for it. I have to swing."

Saturday’s first set was tied at 5-all, and Sabalenka took the last two games.

In the second set, she trailed 5-3 before grabbing the last four.

"She played some big tennis," said Pegula, who will move up to No. 3 in the rankings, "in some big moments."

What was most impressive, perhaps, and might worry the other top women in the sport more than anything, is the way Sabalenka showed off some variety, willing to try something other than her intimidating, shout-accompanied groundstrokes at critical junctures.

At the end of the opening set, for example, with Pegula serving and trying to force a tiebreaker, Sabalenka used a drop shot to bring her opponent forward before striking a down-the-line forehand passing winner. Later in that game, when Pegula was just one point from getting to 6-all, Sabalenka crafted a terrific volley to get to deuce. Then, after a double-fault, Sabalenka broke to own that set with a drop shot that drew a netted response.

"It’s really good to have these options in your pocket. Like sometimes, you don't feel your best on the baseline, and you can just go for a slice or a drop shot or come to the net. I mean, I've been always working on this variation on the court,” Sabalenka said. "I'm really glad that I'm brave enough to use these tools."

In addition to helping win a particular exchange here or there, she continued, having that versatility makes life more difficult for the women on the other side of the net.

Just another reason she has won 12 matches in a row.

"I feel (as if) I put even more pressure on the opponents when they see I'm not only a hard hitter (and) I can also play with some touch," Sabalenka said. "So we always work on (those aspects) of my game."

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Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis