5 milestones Aryna Sabalenka achieved by reaching the US Open 2024 final
World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka beat Emma Navarro 6-3, 7-6 (2) to reach her second straight US Open final. She went down to Coco Gauff in three sets in last year's summit clash.
Sabalenka claimed the first set against Navarro with authority despite some stiff resistance from her opponent. She was on the cusp of victory in the second set and led 4-2, 40-15 on Navarro's serve. However, the American got herself out of trouble and later stopped her opponent from serving out the match.
Navarro took the early lead in the ensuing tie-break to go 2-0 up, and that marked the end of the road for her. Sabalenka then showed why she loves playing in New York so much and reeled off seven consecutive points to win the match.
As the Belarusian finds herself one win away from her first US Open title, here's a quick look at the milestones she achieved by reaching the final:
#1 - Aryna Sabalenka is the first player to reach back-to-back finals at the US Open since Serena Williams
Sabalenka has matched Williams by making consecutive US Open finals. The latter did the same in 2018 and 2019. However, the former will hope to avoid the latter's fate this time.
Williams lost to Naomi Osaka in the 2018 final and was beaten by Bianca Andreescu the following year. Sabalenka already lost in the championship round last year, and will be keen to avoid another heartbreak in the Big Apple.
#2 - Aryna Sabalenka is the fifth player to reach Australian Open and US Open finals since the former event's switch to hardcourts
The Australian Open switched to hardcourts from grass in 1988. Only five women have reached finals of both hardcourt Majors in consecutive years since then, with Sabalenka being the latest entrant to this elite list.
Steffi Graf was the first to do so and did it for three straight years from 1988 to 1990. Monica Seles was the next to follow in her footsteps and achieved the feat in 1991 and 1992. Martina Hingis was the third player to equal this record, and she did a three-peat as well, from 1997 to 1999.
Sabalenka's compatriot Victoria Azarenka was the last woman to do the same before her. The latter won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013 and lost the US Open finals those two years to Serena Williams.
#3 - Aryna Sabalenka trails only Victoria Azarenka with respect to Major finals reached on hardcourts among active players
Sabalenka is closing in on Azarenka's claim as the best tennis player from Belarus. The latter currently holds the record for most Grand Slam finals on hardcourts among active players, with five finals on the surface.
Sabalenka is now only one final short of matching her compatriot in that area. As mentioned earlier, Azarenka won the Australian Open twice. After her two losses to Williams in the US Open finals, reached her most recent final in New York as well, in 2020.
Azarenka came up short against Osaka in her most recent US Open final defeat. She hasn't reached another Major final since then, and the closest she came to another final was at last year's Australian Open, where she made the semifinals.
#4 - Aryna Sabalenka's win over Emma Navarro was her 28th consecutive Major win on hardcourts against a player ranked outside the top 10
A key reason behind Sabalenka's success at the Australian Open and the US Open has been her record against lower-ranked players. She has put together a 28-match winning streak at the hardcourt Majors against players ranked outside the top 10.
Since last year's Australian Open, Sabalenka is 26-1 at the hardcourt Majors. Her only loss has been to Gauff, and 23 of her 26 wins have been in straight sets. Her unbeaten run is the longest since Azarenka herself tallied 29 wins in a row against such players starting from the Australian Open in 2012 and concluding at the same tournament two years later.
#5 - Aryna Sabalenka has reached two finals during the summer hardcourt swing for the first time
Sabalenka had never made two finals during the North American hardcourt swing before this year. Her best showing until now had been a lone final during the 2018, 2019, and 2023 seasons.
However, Sabalenka has broken the trend this year. She won the Cincinnati Open and has continued her unbeaten run by reaching the US Open final. She's now on an 11-match winning streak.
This is also Sabalenka's most successful summer hardcourt swing, regardless of what happens in the final. Before her triumph in Cincinnati, she also reached the semifinals of the Citi Open and the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open.