"Even if it's Jessica Pegula, I don't care" - Aryna Sabalenka unconcerned about US Open 2024 final opponent after 'lesson learned' from 2023 loss
Aryna Sabalenka has disclosed that she is unconcerned about who she faces Jessica Pegula or Karolina Muchova in the 2024 US Open final. The World No. 2 expressed confidence in her ability to handle the challenge of potentially playing against the crowd in the title clash.
Sabalenka claimed a 6-3, 7-6(2) victory over home favorite Emma Navarro in 90 minutes to advance to her second consecutive US Open final. The World No. 2 will have a shot at redemption after falling short against Coco Gauff in last year's title clash, suffering a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat.
The Belarusian was visibly affected by the crowd's overwhelming support for Gauff last year, even playfully chiding the audience for not cheering for her as she broke down in tears during the trophy presentation.
"I don't know. You guys could’ve supported like this during the match," Aryna Sabalenka said.
However, Aryna Sabalenka is entering the title clash with a changed mindset this year, as she disclosed that she has learned her lesson from her loss to Gauff and expressed optimism about delivering a better performance to clinch her maiden US Open title.
In her on-court interview, the two-time Grand Slam champion emphasized that she "didn't really care" about who advanced to the title clash between Jessica Pegula and Karolina Muchova after experiencing a "good test" of playing against the crowd in the semifinals.
"No, I don't really care because today was a good test of the crowd cheering for my opponent. Even if it's going to be Pegula, I mean, I don't care, I'm ready to face whoever. Lesson from the last year learned and I really hope I'm going to do a little bit better than I did last year," she said.
"I was like, 'Okay Aryna, you have to stay focused, stay in your thoughts, focus on yourself.' I was thinking a lot and I was like, 'No guys, not this time,'" she added.
A brief look at Aryna Sabalenka's head-to-head records against Jessica Pegula and Karolina Muchova
Despite the likelihood of facing a hostile crowd if Jessica Pegula reaches the 2024 US Open final, Aryna Sabalenka might still prefer to take on the American in the title clash due to her dominance in their rivalry.
The World No. 2 enjoys a commanding 5-2 lead in her head-to-head record against Pegula, including a 6-3, 7-5 victory in their most recent clash in this year's Cincinnati Open final.
Meanwhile, Muchova holds a 2-1 lead in her head-to-head record against Sabalenka, having defeated the Belarusian 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2 in their latest meeting in the 2023 Cincinnati Open semifinals.