Three years after his demise, Sabalenka has achieved the feat that’ll make her father proud in the heavens. Let’s find out what milestone did Sabalenka achieve.
Aryna Sabalenka set to become the new World Number 1
The 25-year-old is in New York where she’s participating at the US Open. Sabalenka has overcome all challenges and is in the quarterfinal stage of the event. With this, the Belarusian star will become the new World Number 1 when the WTA rankings get updated after the US Open, as defending champion Iga Swiatek bowed out of the tournament. Reflecting on this achievement, she remembers her late dad.
Sabalenka was featured in an interview recently where she was asked to comment about her being the new World Number 1. Answering the question, she said, “I just saw how proud he was of me—how he was celebrating every win, every title—and he told me then that I have everything I needed to achieve this goal: I just had to learn myself better, to learn how to control my emotions, and one day I’d be world number one. It was like our dream.”
As memories of this dream flashed back after she achieved the feat of getting the Number 1 ranking, Sabalenka recalled one of the most emotional moments in her tennis career.
When Sabalenka broke down in tears
Following her father’s demise, Sabalenka was set to participate in the Adelaide International tournament. Despite receiving the sad news, she boarded the plane to travel to Australia, showing off tremendous grip and determination. Reflecting on her decision, she said, “I’m just trying to fight because my dad wanted me to be No.1. I’m doing it for him so that’s what is helping me to be strong right now.”
Sabalenka’s quarterfinal match against Qinwen Zheng is currently underway at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The former has raced to a 2-0 lead in the opening set of the match. Can Sabalenka win her maiden US Open title this year? Let us know your views in the comments below.
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