Aryna Sabalenka silenced her critics and banished her 2025 Grand Slam demons with an impressive victory at the US Open on Saturday — and poignantly revealed how her late father continues to motivate her success.
World No 1 Sabalenka picked up a staggering $5,000,000 in prize money for her triumph in New York, the biggest payout in women’s tennis history, while victory over Amanda Anisimova also saw her become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to successfully defend the US Open title.
Victory for Sabalenka was her fourth Grand Slam singles title overall, with her back-to-back US Open titles following on from Australian Open victories in 2023 and 2024.
The Belarusian’s status as one of the leading players of her era is now more than secured, and her position in the all-time standings will have been significantly boosted with this latest triumph.
Sabalenka’s fan base is growing across the globe, but few have supported her quite like her father, Sergey, and mother, Yulia, have.
The 27-year-old’s father was a particularly important support for her, and together the pair dreamed of the star winning multiple Grand Slam titles and reaching world No 1.
However, tragedy struck when the former ice hockey player passed away aged only 43 in 2019, reportedly of meningitis.
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