By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday, September 9, 2024
New York-Arina Sabalenka When her father, Serge, passed away from meningitis in 2019, she made a promise to herself.
To achieve your dreams and become the best in the world.
Sabalenka, who won her third major title, made it clear that she remains the world’s No. 1, five years after her death.
Asked after winning her third major title where she felt she would place herself in the sport’s history, Sabalenka replied:
“After losing my father, I always aimed to make our family’s name a part of tennis history. Every time I see my name on that trophy, I feel proud of myself and proud of my family who never gave up on my dream and did everything they could to keep me going.”
With a record of 27-1 in her last 28 Grand Slam matches on hard courts, Sabalenka currently ranks fourth on the list of active WTA Grand Slam title winners, behind Venus Williams (7), Iga Sviatek (5) and Naomi Osaka (4).
She solidified her status as the best hard-court player in women’s tennis by defeating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday.
“It’s always been my dream,” she said. “I still can’t believe what I’ve been able to accomplish with my team, what we’ve already accomplished.”
