With its number 1 of the guaranteed world, Aryna Sabalenka can concentrate one hundred percent on the objective of rising for the third consecutive year with the title of champion of the Australian openthis Saturday from the 5.30 of Argentina (ESPN and Disney +) in a final before the surprising Madison Keys.
On paper, the Belarusian is clear favorite against the American, fourteenth of the world, but Keys comes from demolishing the Polish IgA Swiatek, the number 2 of the WTA.
Since the beginning of the tournament, Sabalenkka is almost systematically remind Martina Hestle between 1997 and 1999.
“The main lesson that I learned last season is not to concentrate on the defense of the titles, in the possibility of making history,” said the 26 -year -old scourge. He added: “The key is to be concentrated in yourself,” he said, without wanting to talk a lot about records or statistics.
Swiatk’s semis defeat seems to have raided the way to the third title. At the moment, he has already assured him of Australia continuing at the top of the world classification, a position he reached in October. “You are already first, second or tenth, the pressure is always there,” Sabalenka reflected during this fortnight in Melbourne.
Keys, 29, already touched with the fingertips a first title of the Grand Slam in 2017, when he was runner -up of the United States Open. Then he won his compatriot Sloane Stephens 6-3 and 6-0. “I have not stopped thinking about that game for eight years,” the born in Rock Island, Illinois, acknowledged.
During that first final of Grand Slam, “I consumed nervousness, the moment, the opportunity” to win an important title, Keys analyzed retrospectively.
Madison Keys. Foto: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon“One of the biggest teachings that I can without a doubt from this final is knowing that I will feel bad probably in 99% of the time I spend on the track, but that is not serious. I can still play tennis despite that” , he pointed out.
A close history in Grand Slam
Also at the United States Open, in 2023, Keys faced Sabalenka. The American pointed the first set 6-0 before losing the next two, leaving the Belarusian reach a final after which he ended up raising the trophy.
“It took me time to recover and spend the page of it,” he also admitted Keys, who only beat Sabalenka once in his five previous clashes.
Although this balance reinforces its favoritism, Sabalenka prefers to be prudent: “Keys is playing incredible tennis, it is very aggressive, it gets well and moves well.”
In semifinals, Sabalenka was very solid to her Spanish friend Paula Badosaafter having suffered more than expected against the Russian Anastasia pavlyuchenkova3rd of the world, in the quarterfinals.
But as demonstrates Swiatek’s defeat, which had won his previous five games in this Australian Open yielding just a total of 14 games, which happens in a round is not a guarantee for the next.