By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday September 9, 2024
New York—Aryna Sabalenka made a promise to herself when her father Sergiy passed away prematurely in 2019 due to meningitis.
To fulfill his dream and become the best in the world.
After winning her third major title, Sabalenka once again made it clear that he is still No.1 in her heart, five years after his passing.
When asked what she felt her place in the history of the sport is after claiming her third major title, Sabalenka said:
“After I lost my father, it’s always been my goal to put our family name in the history of tennis. Every time I see my name on that trophy, I’m so proud of myself, I’m proud of my family that they never gave up on my dream and that they were doing everything they could to keep me going.”
Sabalenka, who is 27-1 in her last 28 Grand Slam matches on hard courts, is now fourth on the WTA’s active Grand Slam title winner list, behind only Venus Williams (7), Iga Swiatek (5), and Naomi Osaka (4).
She defeated Jessica Pegula, 7-5, 7-5 on Saturday in Arthur Ashe Stadium to solidify her status as the best hard court player in women’s tennis.
‘It’s been always my dream,” she said. “I still kind of cannot believe that I was able to achieve, like me with my team, we were able to achieve so much already.”
