Aryna Sabalenka Confesses American Crowd’s Change in Behavior Towards Her Over the Years

Aryna Sabalenka secured her second consecutive US Open title with a hard-fought victory over American Amanda Anisimova, winning 6-3, 7-6(3) in a match that showcased her resilience under pressure. The Belarusian world No. 1 successfully defended her crown, becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to achieve this feat at Flushing Meadows.

Despite facing a spirited challenge from Anisimova, who pushed the second set to a tiebreak amid overwhelming crowd support for the home favorite, Sabalenka’s experience and composure ultimately prevailed, marking her fourth Grand Slam title and cementing her status as the tour’s dominant force.

During the on-court interview following her triumph, Sabalenka revealed a poignant evolution in her relationship with the New York crowd, confessing, “I love it. I love it here. I love the support, and, you know, like, I feel like throughout the years we guys built a kind of relationship, and you guys give me so much support.”

This acknowledgment highlighted a significant shift from her earlier experiences, where she faced notably hostile receptions when competing against American opponents. The world no. 1 humorously recalled her initial dread, stating, “And, you know, my first year here, when I saw that I have to play back-to-back against Americans, I was just like, no way, guys, please. I don’t want to play. But then coming back next year, and I have to play again back-to-back against Americans—I mean, semis and then finals—and I felt a bit more support. And this year I felt even more support. So I’m super excited to come back next year. And I hope you all gonna cheer for me. Thank you. Thank you guys for bringing the best, the best atmosphere.”

Aryna Sabalenka’s experience with the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium has been quite a ride, especially during the 2023 final against Coco Gauff, where she really felt the heat from the local fans. She later made a joke about not having much support, but she also recognized how tough it was mentally to compete in that kind of environment.

In 2024, she playfully suggested buying drinks for fans who cheered her on during her semifinal against Emma Navarro, mentioning that the support felt “a bit late” after she had already won. These moments really highlighted the emotional challenges she faced as she figured out how to tune out the crowd’s reactions and concentrate on her performance.

However, Sabalenka mentioned that as she faced off against Americans in the semifinals and finals year after year, she started to feel more and more support each time. The gradual acceptance really came together in the 2025 tournament. She felt even more supported then, showing how her connection with the audience had grown stronger. But did you know that Sabalenka had some early odds against her in the final?

Aryna Sabalenka could’ve been at a disadvantage for this particular reason

Rick Macci, the renowned coach who famously trained 23-time slam queen Serena Williams during her early years, thought that Amanda Anisimova had a real chance against Aryna Sabalenka prior to the 2025 US Open final. He posted on X, saying, “Anisimova versus Sabalenka is who can have fun in the New York sun. Whoever enjoys the fight will take flight. Nerves could come into play, and that might decide the day. Both players can bam, but if Sab get mad DOUBLE A MIGHT WIN HER FIRST SLAM.”

According to him, Sabalenka really had to keep her on-court aggression in check to steer clear of those constant errors. In Paris, she made 70 unforced errors, while Gauff had 30. That definitely led to a significant loss for the Belarusian in that final at Roland Garros. While Sabalenka is usually recognized as the big hitter in the WTA, it’s actually Anisimova who has the faster strike on the ball. Especially when we’re discussing backhand speed.

The Belarusian, however, seems to have turned the tables on her adversaries and added another US Open championship to her collection.