Snapshot: Aryna Sabalenka – ‘keep calm and go for it’

Few players come into the US Open in better form than Aryna Sabalenka.

The Belarusian, just 20 years of age, has won 14 of her past 19 matches and in the past two months has slashed her ranking from No.45 to No.25.

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So where did she emerge from, and what makes her one of the biggest threats in the game right now?

Tennismash writer Leigh Rogers watched Sabalenka in action when covering the Hobart International in January, where she went on to reach the quarterfinals.

“She completely overpowered Genie Bouchard in the opening round. It’s no secret Genie likes to strike the ball early, but she struggled to do this against Sabalenka, whose pressure and ball striking was relentless,” he recalled.

“It was an impressive performance, so I’m definitely not surprised to see her skyrocketing up the rankings this season.”

Perhaps the first significant sign of her capabilities came a year earlier in Fed Cup. She was integral to Belarus’s success, beating Viktorija Golubic in April’s semifinals before a raucous home crowd in Minsk, while still just 18 years of age, to send her team through to the final. In that November finale, she stunned reigning US Open champ Sloane Stephens before Belarus eventually fell to the United States 3-2.

A month earlier, she barged into her first WTA final in Tianjin, pushing Maria Sharapova to the limit in an entertaining final.

Having begun 2017 ranked No.147 and playing regularly on the ITF circuit, she ended it ranked 73rd. And she’s continued her rise in 2018.

Summer of Sabalenka:

d. Goerges (Eastbourne)
d. Mertens (Eastbourne)
d. Pliskova (Eastbourne)
d. Wozniacki (Montreal)
d. Konta (Cincy)
d. Pliskova (Cincy)
d. Garcia (Cincy)

So…we feel you, kid.#CincyTennis https://t.co/8Y0fwsQS7r

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 17, 2018

Proof of her giant-killing capabilities came in Eastbourne, where she reached her second WTA final of the season (after Lugano) and first ever at Premier level. Along the way she beat seeds Julia Goerges, Elise Mertens and Karolina Pliskova plus former world No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska before succumbing to Caroline Wozniacki in a tense final.

Now under the wing of coach Dmitry Tursunov – a former ATP top-20 player – she has maintained that form during the North American summer hard-court season.

Not over yet, but never thought I’d see a player besides Serena overpower Madison Keys like Sabalenka is doing right now… @espn

— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) August 18, 2018

Three top-10 players have been on the receiving end of her power, and came up short; Sabalenka gained revenge on Wozniacki en route to the last 16 in Montreal and went all the way to the semifinals in Cincinnati, beating eighth-ranked Pliskova and world No.5 Caroline Garcia. She also defeated former top-10 talents Johanna Konta and Madison Keys.

Since the beginning of the week in Eastbourne, 14 of her 19 matches have extended to three sets.

Oozing confidence, she is now into the semifinals in New Haven – and she might not stop there.

Amazing ball striking from @SabalenkaA! ???? #CTOpenTennis pic.twitter.com/KypxbmL7po

— WTA (@WTA) August 22, 2018

“Sometimes I get really crazy on the court, and then I turn around and say, like, ‘Well, keep calm and just keep going.’ This is really work for me,” said Sabalenka, when asked in Cincinnati what was behind her purple patch of form.

“So I hope some day I will win in two sets and I will be really calm on the court. Probably this is why I always play three sets because I start to think, no, no, no, I have to win this set, this game, this point, and probably this way. I cannot do this in two sets. But I hope sometimes in one day it’s come.

“I feel (my relationship with Tursunov) is a good thing, because if I have, like, crazy coach, can you imagine how we will be at this? Like, if I lost second set and he will be pissed with me and go off the court and I start to be really worry about it.

“This way I think it works, because he’s calm. I’m a little bit passionate about winning, and I’m crazy sometimes on the court. Sometimes when I look at him and I see that he’s calm, I’m, like, ‘Okay, so he’s calm, I think everything’s right.’

“So I just keep calm and go for it.”