“I was very happy with my performance today. the conditions are similar to what they were in Australia,” said the 25-year-old Belarusian who won her first Grand Slam title in Melbourne in January. She is already guaranteed to become world number 1 for the first time in her career at the end of the tournament, thanks to the premature defeat, in the round of 16 on Sunday, of defending champion Iga Swiatek.
“I was convinced that she would go to the final and that I too should achieve this so that this place of N.1 is decided on the court. I fought so hard to become N.1 that I can’t believe it and I was afraid that it would distract me today” against Kasatkina, acknowledged Sabalenka. His place as N.1 will be made official when the new WTA ranking is published on September 11, the day after the men’s final at Flushing Meadows.
Last year in New York, Sabalenka was eliminated in the semi-finals.
