Sabalenka shrugs off disappointing 2026 ahead of US Open

CINCINNATI, Aug 13 — Aryna Sabalenka, the top women’s seed in the ATP-WTA Masters 1000 event, remained composed as she prepared for her final US Open warm-up in Cincinnati. A four-time Grand Slam champion, Sabalenka won in Cincinnati two years ago, paving the way for her first US Open title a few weeks later. However, 2026 has been a challenging year for her, with only three titles to her name, none since Miami in the spring.

After an early exit in Toronto, she headed to the rainy American Midwest after her Wimbledon loss to Naomi Osaka. Instead of dwelling on her disappointments, Sabalenka took some time off to relax in Mykonos with her fiancé and dog Ash. "I wanted to stay away from tennis for a little bit so I could refresh, restart and be hungry again," she said, noting that she loves this lull between Grand Slams, during which there are no expectations.

As all seeds at the 12-day tournament without qualifying underway due to heavy rains and storm warnings, Sabalenka will begin the second round against either Talia Gibson or a qualifier. She emphasized that her goal is simply to "compete, fight and enjoy," stating that she has no fear. Sabalenka tries to avoid re-living her recent past, focusing on staying present and doing everything she can in the present moment.

She had high expectations this summer but her body didn't cooperate and some things didn't work out as planned.