Sabalenka Targets 3rd Straight U.S. Open Title as World No. 1 Leans Into New York Chaos
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 31
Sabalenka Targets 3rd Straight U.S. Open Title as World No. 1 Leans Into New York Chaos
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 31
Summary
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka enters the 2026 U.S. Open chasing a third straight title, saying New York’s noise, crowds and long commutes now fuel rather than drain her.
World No. 1 Sabalenka and her team have built routines around that chaos — high-floor hotel rooms, strict sleep, limited walking, recovery work and even using traffic as downtime.
That mindset shift matters more after a shaky stretch since clay season, when she squandered match points in Madrid, blew a late lead at the French Open, lost at Wimbledon and let leads slip again in Cincinnati.
Three straight U.S. Open finals and semifinal-or-better runs every year since 2021 suggest Flushing Meadows remains her best stage, even after the crowd once rattled her in the 2023 loss to Coco Gauff.
Sabalenka says reconnecting with her psychologist this summer and embracing the city’s party-like atmosphere have helped turn a former weakness into a possible edge in her bid for title No. 3.