Paula Badosa jokingly begs Aryna Sabalenka to leave some trophies for the rest after US Open win; Belarusian promises with one small caveat
Paula Badosa sent a heartfelt congratulatory message to Aryna Sabalenka after the latter's US Open triumph. The Spaniard also jokingly requested the Belarusian to leave some trophies for other players, to which, the latter had a funny response.
Sabalenka won her third Grand Slam singles title by beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in the final of the New York major. It was also her second title at the US Open, having previously won the women's doubles in 2019 with Elise Mertens, whom she beat 6-2, 6-4 in the fourth round this year.
The World No. 2 took to X to talk about her triumph, stating:
"Can’t believe I did it. Thank you everyone for you support."
Paula Badosa responded to Sabalenka's post by lauding her achievement. The Spaniard also jokingly asked her to leave some trophies for the others, especially herself.
"Believe it. Crazy achievement! You are such a strong woman! I’m really happy for you! You inspire so many people (also me) ps: please leave a bit for the rest… (specially me)," Badosa wrote.
Sabalenka responded to this by saying that she would leave a few trophies but only for Badosa.
"Thank you so much baby, ahah I will, but only for you," the World No. 2 wrote.
Badosa also took to Instagram to congratulate Sabalenka on her win. She shared two pictures on her stories, one of the Belarusian with the US Open trophy, and another of the two of them.
Paula Badosa had a decent run at the US Open, reaching the quarterfinals after wins over Viktorija Golubic, Taylor Townsend, Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Wang Yafan. Here, she lost to Emma Navarro.
"I would say Paula Badosa is back on her top level" - Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka heaped praise on Paula Badosa earlier during the US Open. The Spaniard, who was the World No. 2 a couple of years back, suffered a series of injuries that hampered her form and ranking.
However, Badosa produced some impressive performances during the North American hard-court swing, winning the Citi Open and reaching the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open.
Sabalenka lauded the Spaniard's return to form during a press conference at the US Open, stating that the latter is back at the top level. She also called the World No. 29 a "fighter" and an "amazing person."
"Seeing her right now on her… I would say she's back on her top level. That's really amazing, and I'm really happy for her, and she deserves it, you know. She's a fighter. She's hard-working girl. She's an amazing person. I mean, she deserves it all," Sabalenka said.
Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa have locked horns on seven occasions so far, with the Belarusian leading 5-2 in their head-to-head. The two have squared off thrice in 2024, with Sabalenka coming out on top every time. Their most recent encounter came in the third round of the French Open, which the Belarusian won 7-5, 6-1.