Great champions are defined not by their perfection, but by how they respond to adversity. Aryna Sabalenka proved her championship mettle in the US Open final, recovering from a stunning late-match blunder to defeat Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3) and secure her fourth Grand Slam title.
With the title just two points away at 6-3, 5-4, 30-30, Sabalenka faced a routine overhead smash—a shot she could make in her sleep. In a moment of high-stakes tension, she completely misjudged it, slamming the ball into the net. The error was a gateway for doubt and panic, and Anisimova capitalized immediately, breaking serve to extend the match.
For many players, such a mistake would have been mentally catastrophic, especially given Sabalenka’s history of painful losses in finals. But what followed was the response of a true World No. 1. Rather than dwelling on the error, she immediately reset. She held her next service game with authority and then played a near-perfect tiebreak to close out the championship.
“There were a few moments when I was this close to just let it go,” Sabalenka confessed. “I was like ‘C’mon now, you have to stay focused.'” Her ability to pull back from the brink, forget the mistake, and execute under pressure is the hallmark of her newfound mental resilience and the primary reason she is once again a Grand Slam champion.
A Champion’s Response: How Sabalenka Overcame a Late-Set Stumble to Win
