The second set is the set for the debrief. Sabalenka takes it 7-5 after losing the first 6-4, then loses the third 6-2. Fourth US Open final in a row, and a run of 19 straight wins at the tournament over.
Cédric, our C30.4 (a club-level ranking), watched the final with his doubles partner. What stayed with him was the press conference answer, not the scoreline.
“You’re thinking too much.” There. That is exactly what I have been trying to explain to my captain for two seasons. On Sunday they put me on court 4, with the strip light buzzing, and then they ask me for a plan, intentions, patterns. No. At some point you just play. That blocked return down the line off a second serve, technically I make it. Not every time, but I make it. Two practice sessions away, mind you. And the 5-7 in the second set, I know that one: it’s the set where you serve at 5-4 for the match and start thinking about your strings instead of serving.
The full quote: “You’re thinking too much. I was just out there competing, trying to do my best with what I had there today. Not good enough.”
On her level, Sabalenka first said she was not happy: “I’m obviously not really happy with the level I played today, but she served incredible.” Less than a minute later, she said she should be happy overall with the level she produced during the tournament. Cédric nodded at both sentences, which he says is the mark of an honest analysis.
He also noted the racquet broken on the bench at the end of the match, and the ball hit into the crowd. Sabalenka said she preferred to let the aggression and disappointment out rather than keep it inside. “In club league (interclubs, Belgium’s weekend team league), you break a racquet and you’re not playing with it again before October,” said Cédric, who owns three frames and one decent string job.
With this defeat Sabalenka loses the world No 1 ranking she had held for 99 consecutive weeks.
It’s true, we checked: Tennis Majors.
