Aryna Sabalenka delivered a fiery rebuke to “miserable haters” after beginning her US Open title defence with a routine straight-sets win.
The Belarusian has struggled for form in the last six months, having not reached a final since winning the ‘Sunshine Double’ of WTA 1000 hard-court titles in Indian Wells and Miami in March.
She suffered back-to-back third-round exits in Toronto and Cincinnati, the two events she contested at the start of the American hard-court swing, and is also under pressure at the top of the rankings.
Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina is in pole position to replace her as world No 1; the Kazakh will overtake her in the world rankings unless Sabalenka wins the title and Rybakina loses before the semi-finals in New York. Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff could also seal top spot if they win the title.
But Sabalenka looked back to her usual level as she defeated Colombia’s Camila Osorio 6-2 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium to get her quest for a third successive title at Flushing Meadows off to a fine start.
She told Sky Sports Tennis afterwards: “It took me a little while to shut down those noises. There will always be people who support your choices, people who go against you, people who love you or hate you.
“I’m so tired of the miserable haters. I decided to stay strong with myself and trust the process, trust with my choices and taste.
“Whoever loves me will be there no matter what. Haters can go and get on with their own lives.”
Her remarks appeared more pointed given she was involved in a testy exchange with a journalist in a press conference, where she was asked about the difficulty of maintaining her energy after a flurry of pre-tournament events.
The Belarusian replied: “Why do you think the week before I wasn’t focused on tennis?” After the journalist clarified that she had seemed “busy” with other commitments, she added: “It’s like my hobby outside of tennis. The whole schedule we plan is all around tennis. So all of those events are not drawing me away in any way.”
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