On September 7th, moments after being crowned the 2024 U.S Open Women’s Singles Champion, Aryna Sabalenka fell to the ground with her hands covering her face. She had just defeated American Jessica Pegula, 7-5, 7-5, inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium. "Oh, my God. I'm speechless right now," said Sabalenka, a 26-year-old Belarusian. "So many times, I thought I was so close to [getting] a US Open title. It's been a dream of mine. Finally, I got this beautiful trophy. It means a lot."

In both 2021 and 2022, Sabalenka lost in the semifinal round. Just one year ago, she advanced to her first final, but it was Coco Gauff who was lying on the court with her head in her hands, and Sabalenka who was left wondering how she had just lost in the final at the 2023 US Open, after winning the first set 6-2. She remained gracious on the court by praising Gauff and smiling for photos, but when Sabalenka left the court, she slammed her racket on the floor several times before putting it in the trash can. Later, to reporters, Sabalenka remarked that the disappointing loss would only help her in the future. "It's [a] lesson for me," she said. "I will learn and then come back stronger," which she undeniably did. 

In the opening set, Sabalenka secured a 5-2 lead before Pegula found her rhythm and claimed the next three games. Then, tied at 5-all, Sabalenka gathered all her momentum for the next five games to win the set and take a 3-0 lead in the second. Even so, Pegula, who was playing in her first major final, was not done fighting. Pegula, as the No. 6 seed, went on a five-game run of her own, and a deciding set looked almost certain. However, serving at 5-4, she allowed Sabalenka to level the set with a break. "I was kind of getting ready for the third set. [Thinking] at least like, 'You'll be confident on your serve in the third set,' and then I held my serve. I put so much pressure on her [in] that serving game at 5-4, and I'm really glad I was able to break her back," Sabalenka said. From there, it was all her. After 1 hour and 53 minutes and having won 16 of the final 23 points, the trophy belonged to Sabalenka at last. This victory marks the 26-year-old’s third Grand Slam singles title, which moves her into fourth place for the most Grand Slam singles titles, among active World Tennis Association players, behind only Venus Williams (7), Iga Swiatek (5) and Naomi Osaka (4). 

“I just remember all those tough losses here at the US Open, and they say that you're going to see the reason later, and I see the reason right now," Sabalenka said on the ESPN broadcast after the trophy ceremony. "I had to go through this stuff [and] tough lessons to be able to hold this beautiful trophy, and now I think I'm the happiest person in the world right now." Aryna Sabalenka’s story inspires fans everyday to keep following their dreams and never give up even when faced with challenges. 

Information retrieved from usopen.org and espn.com.