Aryna Sabalenka has explained one of the biggest reasons she managed to lift the US Open for the second year running.
The World No. 1 won her fourth Grand Slam at the New York event, following on from the 2024 US Open and two Australian Open crowns.
Sabalenka continued an ‘insane stat’ at the US Open as she defeated the likes of Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, and Marketa Vondrousova to lift the trophy at Flushing Meadows.
The Belarusian clearly loves playing in front of the US Open crowd, and she’s highlighted one key difference between the New York event and the other majors.
Aryna Sabalenka says the US Open is ‘bigger’ than the other Grand Slams
Sabalenka was delighted with the fan reaction to her win on Arthur Ashe Stadium, especially after dispatching a home favourite in Anisimova.
The World No. 1 praised the crowd and tournament for its sheer size, with 24,000 fans packed into the stadium to watch her win the trophy.
Speaking to Access Hollywood after her second US Open win, Sabalenka revealed: “Compared to the rest of the slams, I feel like the US Open feels much bigger.”
The Belarusian put part of that down to the sheer amount of celebrities in attendance at the events, as the likes of Ben Stiller, Courteney Cox, and President Donald Trump watched on throughout two weeks.
“It’s crazy knowing who is in the stadium watching us compete,” added the World No. 1. “And the crowd makes it bigger. They are the loudest ones, I feel like.”
Sabalenka became the first woman to win back-to-back US Open trophies since Serena Williams in 2014, so the crowd is clearly working in the World No. 1’s favour.
Aryna Sabalenka has spent longer on court in Grand Slams than everyone except Alcaraz, Sinner, and Djokovic
Sabalenka has reached the final of three out of the four Grand Slams in 2025, with her semi-final at Wimbledon the only outlier.
The Belarusian’s dominance at this year’s majors is showcased by how much longer on court she’s spent than any other woman.
Sabalenka has spent over seven hours longer on court than Iga Swiatek in second place, and only Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner have spent longer on court in Grand Slams in the whole sport.
Considering she plays at least one set less than the men in every Grand Slam match, that’s incredibly impressive.
