Aryna Sabalenka Aims for Hard-Court Major Wins in 2024

Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, continued her flawless play at the first round of the US Open 2024, beating Priscilla Hon from Australia in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. This is Sabalenka’s 7th win at the first round of the Grand Slam tournament, and puts her in the spotlight since the number one seed Iga Swiatek has already been defeated. Following her defense of the Australian Open title, Sabalenka has intentions of being the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to be able to win both hard-court majors in the same year. Sabalenka added that her compatriot is a “very tricky player,” as the Australian who was playing very aggressively was tough for the former runner-up. In the season, Sabalenka has now acquired 24 wins on the hard court, the third-best in the hard court wins behind the number one seed Swiatek and Emma Navarro. The next game will be a straight fight between the duo and Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti. Hon was performing well since she was playing her ninth match this month having defeated Ukraine’s Yuliya Simchuk 6-1, 6-2 in the final round of the qualifying tournament. The match handed her a tour-level main draw, having been her first of the season. Hon was also making her first Grand Slam draw since the Australian Open 2022. Sabalenka’s win highlights her current form, as she did not lose a single opening set point against Hon. The latter played her best, breaking for the first game, but the Belorussian responded by breaking for each of the next two matches to lead 5-2, but Hon managed to break. However, Sabalenka held on to win seven games, sealing the first set on her seventh opportunity.

Implication and Future Trends

Sabalenka’s win reiterates her unbeaten form and she is becoming one of the hard court top players of the season. This could be the change in trend of the dominance in the hard court, as she might become the back-to-back hard court major winner. Another perspective is that when younger players such as Emma Navarro continued challenging the top seeds, and the latter living up to expectation, there might be increased unpredictability and more tough games for the women. This could also mean change in the trend and focus of training for the game.

Summary

As the season continues, there will be more focus on how Aryna Sabalenka will fair on, with player-friendly form suggesting she is ready for her first US Open title. The successes and failures are important in changing the trends of women’s tennis were change and with defending the anticipation will be visible.