Aryna Sabalenka is prepared to battle for each point in her endeavor to claim US Open triumph.
After two semifinal losses and a tough loss in the final, she hasn't managed to grab the championship trophy at New York's US Open yet. But she's hopeful it might happen soon.
Appearing in this year's US Open, which starts on Monday, Sabalenka enters as a strong contender on an upward trend, having recently secured the 15th WTA title of her career in Cincinnati without dropping a single set.
A year ago, she almost clinched the title against Coco Gauff in the final, but a lead slipaway cost her the win. Now, back at Flushing Meadows, she's a favorite to claim the women's singles title, potentially becoming the ninth first-time champion in the past 10 tournaments.
"Sports, most of the time, is unpredictable, especially tennis," Sabalenka tells CNN Sport. "I'm not focusing on that, thinking about the trophy. I'm trying to focus on myself, bringing my best tennis to the court, and hopefully, I can keep the tradition alive and a new champion is crowned in the US Open."
After her defeat last year, she was in tears, a tough reminder of the lonely and frustrating nature of tennis. Once off the court, she was filmed taking a racket out of her bag, smashing it against the ground, and then throwing it into a bin.
The loss, she later mentioned, was a lesson in mindful playing. She's hoping to use these lessons during the upcoming tournament, keeping a level head and not getting too caught up in her performance.
For the most part, she was able to do that last year.
"Of course, I have to work hard, fight for every point on the court, but then I have to also give myself time," she says. "I have to enjoy my time off the court – go to good restaurants, maintain balance.
"Not only always think about tennis, but also have something to separate things and forget about tennis, even if it's for 10 hours. So being able to do that was actually crucial for me last year. That's why I did well – because I was excellent at separating things."
Following her victory in Cincinnati, Sabalenka barely had time to think about tennis. The next day, she was in New York to promote her new collaboration with açai brand Oakberry – a "really cool partnership," she explains, which also includes the launch of her Power Serve Bowl.
Her first-round match against Australia's Priscilla Hon at the US Open now awaits, during which she'll look to extend her strong recent form, having withdrawn from Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury.
Missing Wimbledon due to injury was her first absence in two years. However, the experience has only made her more determined going into the US Open.
"I feel like I'm super hungry and I'm super excited," she says. "The most challenging thing was having the fear of getting the same injury again. The intensity was quite high. The first matches, I was checking how I was feeling, if my shoulder was okay or not, because I didn't play high-intensity matches for a month.
"That was the most challenging thing. In the first two tournaments, I felt like with every match I played, I got better and better, and then finally, things clicked in Cincinnati."
Some people believe Sabalenka's break from tennis could actually be beneficial in the long run, helping her mentally and physically reset.
"She might be the freshest of them all because she didn't play the Olympics," tennis great Martina Navratilova recently told CNN's Christiane Amanpour, looking ahead to the US Open. "Everybody else may be tired emotionally or have some niggling injuries. We'll see who can stay healthy and who wants it more."
Rising to the second position in the rankings after winning against world No. 1 Iga Świątek and No. 6 Jessica Pegula in Cincinnati, Sabalenka felt like a victory against Świątek was a breakthrough moment. Beating the Pole five times while only facing two break points himself was a significant feat.
When she's at her best, her powerful serve and ground shots are unmatched in the women's game. That was evident in her run to the Australian Open title at the start of the year, where she didn't drop a set and only lost more than five games in a single match once.
Cincinnati was her first victory since then, although Sabalenka has still managed deep runs at tournaments in the face of personal tragedy. In March, her ex-boyfriend, former NHL player Konstantin Koltsov, died by what police called an "apparent suicide."
Wearing all black, Sabalenka returned to the tennis court at the Miami Open just days later, then reached clay finals in Madrid and Rome in the following months. Reflecting on her performances this season, she says it's been a "really great year" so far.
"Overall, I'm really happy with the level I'm playing right now and the way I'm coming back after different challenges," she says. "I would say I'm really proud of myself this year."
There're still numerous competitions coming up within the next few months, including skipping the US Open, and numerous accomplishments for Sabalenka, a previous top-ranked player, to accomplish, both on and off the court.
"There's a lot of objectives and targets," she mentions. "It's so clear, the objectives – everyone desires to be the world No. 1, everyone wishes to win the most significant tournaments of the year. That's the objective, I believe, for everyone.
"Yet, for me, the objective is to continuously better myself and ensure I'm a more proficient athlete and individual each day. That's the primary aim."
Since 2015, only Naomi Osaka has managed to claim the women's US Open title more than once, while every other victor was a novice champion. Sabalenka, with a taste of victory and surviving adversity already this year, will be giving her all on the court as she tries to add her name to the trophy.
"You merely have to provide your best, battle as hard as you can, and hope for the best," she says. "That's my attitude heading to a grand slam."
Sabalenka's victory in Cincinnati, where she secured the 15th WTA title without dropping a single set, has positioned her as a strong contender for the women's singles title at this year's US Open. Tennis, as Sabalenka acknowledges, is an unpredictable sport, but she's focusing on bringing her best game to the court, hoping to potentially add her name to the list of first-time champions at the US Open.
