US Open: Aryna Sabalenkova’s New York test is about more than one

Aryna Sabalenka (Getty Images) NEW YORK CITY: Aryna Sabalenka arrived at Flushing Meadows for history. She could have left it without a #1 ranking.The 28-year-old two-time defending champion is chasing history, aiming to become the first woman since Serena Williams (2012-14) to win three consecutive US Open titles. But her dip in form has left her clinging to the No.1 ranking and looking increasingly frail. Sabalenkova, who reached the Australian Open final in January and won back-to-back WTA 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Miami, has made just one semifinal in her last seven tournaments. Powerhouse Belarus, whose recent collapse left viewers gasping, is 17-7 since April.The top seed is closing in on a major milestone — 100 consecutive weeks at No. 1 — but would need to win a third US Open title to get there. Sabalenkova will reach 99 weeks at the top of the rankings by the end of the tournament, but with 2,000 points from last year’s title and three players who can overtake her, extending her reign another week is not entirely in her hands.Elena Rybakina, who clinched the title at Melbourne Park to get her season off to a blistering start, trails Sabalenkova by less than 500 points in the WTA rankings. But the 27-year-old Kazakh’s progress to this year’s Grand Slam final was hampered by a left ankle injury. Still, second-seeded Rybakina could climb to No. 1 without playing a match at the US Open if Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff do not win the title. Should Rybakina reach the semi-finals, the highest ranking is hers regardless of other results.Sabalenka brings some New York swagger to the court, dressed in a basketball-inspired mesh dress with white stitching over a bright orange sports bra and matching shorts. Her jewelry—a necklace, bracelet, and earrings bearing more than 127 carats of colored gemstones—channels the city’s bold multicultural spirit. Whether that swagger will translate to her tennis remains a bigger question, however, as the top seed begins her title defense on Monday against Camila Osorio.When Sabalenka was asked about her recent run in tournaments at her pre-tournament media briefing, many fans wondered what was up with Aryna, the world No. 1, smiling: “maybe there’s something wrong with people.”Touching her confidence level, she replied, ever confident, before expanding. “That’s the beauty of sport, throw tough challenges at me and I’ll come back stronger,” she said.In Paris, there were warning signs of world number one fights. At Roland Garros, Sabalenkova was within touching distance of the semi-finals and was leading Russia’s Diana Shnaider 6-3, 5-3 when the game suddenly left her. She dropped the last 10 games, losing 6-3, 5-7, 0-6, a collapse that was both surprising and disturbing.“It wasn’t the best time. I don’t want to defend myself, but of course I just don’t want to talk about that time,” she said of the last four months. “I dealt with a few things, but who cares, right? Yeah, I didn’t perform at my best.”“These hard lessons will definitely make me stronger and work even harder,” she finished.The outfit of the top peck screams New York, but the message from Sabalenka’s season is quieter, nothing can be taken for granted. The defending champion may have history in her sights, but it’s not all in her hands, thanks to the leads she’s missed. He’ll need more than his typical power at Flushing Meadows. It’s never about one week or one tournament, it’s about finding a way to hang on when the pressure starts to wear off and carry that resilience into the home environment of the 2026 season.