After claiming the 2025 US Open title, Aryna Sabalenka emotionally shared what it means to her to win Grand Slams since her father, Sergey, passed away in 2019. Her father was a former ice hockey player, and his memory has become a powerful source of motivation for the tennis star.
Throughout her career, Sabalenka has won four singles Grand Slam titles: two Australian Open titles in 2023 and 2024, and now two US Open titles in 2024 and 2025. She also has two women’s doubles Grand Slam titles: the 2019 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open, both won alongside Elise Mertens.
What Did Aryna Sabalenka Say About Her Father After Winning the 2025 US Open?
In the final, Sabalenka defeated eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6(3) to claim the 2025 US Open title. This victory marked her second singles title at Flushing Meadows and her fourth Grand Slam singles title overall. With this win, she also became the first woman to defend the title since Serena Williams did so in 2014.
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of 🐯🏆
Aryna Sabalenka, two-time US Open champion. pic.twitter.com/RrpRhsIbaC
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2025
Following her win, during the post-match press conference, Sabalenka expressed that winning a Grand Slam title since her father’s passing “means a lot” to her.
The World No. 1 shared that it was “tough” for her and her family after her father’s death, but she chose to use the tragedy as motivation to honor her family’s name. She stated that she believes her father is watching over her and providing her with the “power” to play her best.
“It means a lot. When he passed away, I was very depressed, and it was a tough moment for me and for my family. But in that moment, I decided to take it as motivation to put our family name in history. I want to believe and feel his protection from up there, and I know that he became my power. So, it means a lot,” Sabalenka said.
Ever since the passing of her father, Aryna Sabalenka has worked to put her family’s name in the history books. pic.twitter.com/gh36I4Gjda
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2025
Sabalenka entered as the defending champion, having won the title in 2024 by defeating Jessica Pegula in the final. This year, as the top seed, she began her campaign by defeating Rebeka Masarova (7-5, 6-1), Polina Kudermetova (7-6(4), 6-2), 31st seed Leylah Fernandez (6-3, 7-6(2)), and Cristina Bucșa (6-1, 6-4) in the first four rounds, respectively.
let the champagne bottles pop, Aryna Sabalenka! 🍾 pic.twitter.com/5dUJt3bZCd
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2025
In the quarterfinals, the Belarusian was scheduled to face Markéta Vondroušová but advanced to the semifinals after the Czech player withdrew due to a knee injury. Sabalenka then secured her place in the championship match, her third consecutive appearance in the New York Major final, by defeating fourth-seeded Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals.
In the lead-up to the US Open, Sabalenka had competed at the Cincinnati Open, where she reached the quarterfinals before losing to Elena Rybakina.
