Aryna Sabalenka Press Conference | 2024 US Open Final

congratulations Arena your thoughts on the championship match well yeah I was very very difficult match she she played really um incredible tennis and honestly after uh me leading three laugh I didn't really expect her to come back with such a high level and I'm really glad that um I was able to um to hold my surf and that 53 down and then to BR her back it gave me so much Bel that can close this match in in two sets so very difficult very difficult match and and super happy with the win thank you name and affiliation one question each Barbara congratulations Arena um in the second set can you talk a little bit more if she wins five straight games I mean how do you stay mentally strong and what were you thinking at that time yeah I mean that was really incredible ten years from her and I mean I had my opportunities in at 31 I was serving and and then I had a breako and three off and but you know she come up with winners with really aggressive tennis and um it just like it felt like 1 second and it's 35 and I'm serving and I was like oh wow that's that's crazy level from her and um in that moment I just told myself okay just try to hold yourself surf uh I was kind of like Get I was getting ready for the third set you know like at least like you you'll be you'll be confident on your surf in the third set and and and then then I I um I hold my surf and and I put so much pressure on her on on that on that service uh serving game um at 54 and I'm really glad I was able to BR her back Charlie congratulations re Charo in the athletic um you're still going to be the world number two but you're the holder of two grand titles how much does it bother you not being one number one and how much is it just about winning these biggest titles I mean I'm not trying to focus on ranking to be honest not like I'm you know checking uh where I'm going to be after the tournament and um I'm just trying to focus on myself and I know that if on each tournament I'll be able to play my best tennis and I'll be able to uh bring this fight Spirit on on each game I'll be able to become world number one again so um so my focus is um on myself on improving myself as the player and as a person and and yeah hopefully one day I'll I'll see myself self on the top of the ranking Richard congrats on the title it's you're third now and I just wondered how much you think about your place in the history of this sport well you know um after I lost my father it's always been my goal to put our family name in the in the history of tennis and and every time I see I see my name name on on that trophy um I'm so proud of myself I'm proud of my family um that they never gave up up on my dream and that they were doing everything they could to keep me going and um and and so I had uh I had I had this opportunity in life so it's really means a lot and yeah that just it's been always my dream and I still kind of like cannot believe that I was able to achieve not I like me with my team we were able to achieve so much already Arena from the outside it looks like you're taking big risks on the biggest points just from the public perspective is that the way you see it and how do you describe your mentality on those big points I mean I know that I have to go for it uh that's the only way it works for me because every time I'm trying to play safer and play you know like um be aware of these Sky moments and every time I stop my arms and the ball flies like in the stand so I just a long time ago I decided for myself that on those important moments I just have to go for it I have to swing and uh and if I'm gonna like swing till the end without stopping my arms I know that the ball the ball gonna go in so that's you know like that's the only option for me powera there there were uh tense moments there at the end of each Set uh wondering how much if at all did your mind go back at to last year's final here or the semi-final the year before uh and and if you were at all thinking about that what was it that you were telling yourself honestly I thought that I will be thinking a lot about previous years here because I had a lot of tough lessons here the you open uh very difficult one I would say especially the last year but honestly today I was just keep reminding myself that this is the US Open final of course is going to fight really hard for it and and it's not going to be easy and I I have to I have to work really hard to get it and in those tough moments I was just you know like trying to stay strong and trying to remind myself that I've been through a lot and I'm strong enough to um to um to Hal under this pressure so um I was I'm actually really glad that I didn't have any feedbacks in the last year Mar congratulations um you've talked you've been open about how this year there's been difficult stretch with injury and heartbreaking personal loss can you discuss why winning this title this year is particularly sweet and important to you well um yeah I faced a lot of challenges on and off the court and um the difficult one was also like being injured and not able to play wmbl done and it was new experience for me and um and also it's also a very special place here the youth open and I also had a lot of tough uh uh lot loses in the past and and um I was always hoping that one day I'll be able to hold this beautiful trophy it's been always my dream and um that's why it's very special because no matter what every time I was coming back stronger and I was learning I I was I never I never gave up on this dream and um and yeah that's you know that means a lot k.com congratulations and happy Brad summer to you I was just curious what your reaction was to seeing Jason's her tattoo on his head I'm I'm hoping it's temporary but may no it's it's permanent no but honestly I forgot about that but um I think in Washington uh there's one girl she's uh uh she's my my fan um she's supporting me and she always come up with some cool stuff uh related to my name and um she brought this uh these temporary tattoos and Jason promised me that if I make it to the finals he's going to make it he's going to he's going to put it on on his forehead I wish it would be a little bit lower like right here would be would be cooler right and I forgot about that and today uh we had lunch dinner before the match and and he was like Hey and he showed me that everyone was like okay come on we're going to make it and then uh uh not the whole team but half of the team they also had like a little tiger here on the arm and um yeah my friends had like uh also kind of like at the same spot so that was cool right we just we always come up with something new it was signature and now it's uh like T tiger tattoo I'm really curious what's going to be next Jason maybe like you're gonna I was about to say color his hair maybe Anon will come up with some fun stuff right like or or purple hair why not back back Victoria us open.org you talked a little bit about how you've sort of improved yourself with slices Drop shots variety you executed some of those kind of shots today at at Key moments do you feel now that you're sort of confident in in that plan b or things that are not always you know when you hit the ball hard and and hit winners from everywhere um well it's really um um it's really good to have these options in your in your in your pocket you know like when you feel like okay um sometimes you don't feel your best on the Baseline and you can just go for a slice or drop shot or like come to the net I mean I've been always working on this variation on the court and I'm really glad that that I'm brave enough to use these tools uh in those key moments so um I think that's really important to always improve in yourself and um like I feel I put even more pressure on the opponents when they when they see that I'm not only like um hard hitter I can also play with some touch so I we always work um on that on that assets of my game and we will continue and hopefully one day we're going to see me Ser surf in Wally I'm not sure I'm brave enough to do that but but maybe once once I will I will come up with this uh with this plan C hopefully I will never need it but whatever whatever it takes you know Bill last question congrats um in sports Elite athletes have the joy the privilege to just sort of experience that that moment of Victory and it was extraordinary when you fell on your back and you finally had it what flash through your mind what was that experience like yeah I would definitely say that this is kind of like the best moments one second hello yeah I would definitely say that this is you know like it was the best moment one of the best moments and um like so many things was going through my mind the first one was that um all those tough losses in the past and and I was just like so proud of myself and proud of my team that no matter what we were able to come back stronger and come back with a better tennis and and and now finally we're having this beautiful full Trophy and uh yeah I mean I don't know I don't know how to describe that feeling it's like you're crying you're laughing you're just you're just uh you know you you you feel all these um emotions at the same time and um that's the best feeling and I really wish um everyone could or can experience that thank you everyone if you could just hold your seats for one second I believe we have a second present Rea you go down here with me yeah yes special moment special moment we a special person yes so for those that have been with us before you know we have a tradition where the champion Awards the US Open Champion through their coach so my friend this is for you here don't be [Applause] shy congratulations there you go all right so let's have your trophy but you know mine is cooler [Applause] yeah it actually looks sad you know guys it's like a team work but the this one's cool easy to travel thank you for that's what we were thinking easy going drink from this one drink from both actually no I cannot open this actually you're going to get you're going to get your keeper trophy that is next I think Tiffany is waiting that's already in grave you will be able to drink out of your own and then we're going to M and Sh tomorrow more than you going to have more but yeah thank you everyone thank you so much thank you everyone [Applause]