Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka instill fear in opponents after US Open triumph, says Jimmy Connors

Former world number one Jimmy Connors believes that US Open winners Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka now have a ‘fear factor’ amongst other players. The fourth and final Grand Slam of the year recently concluded which saw two new winners lifting the trophy.

In the men’s singles category, world number one Sinner defeated America’s Taylor Fritz in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 to lift the US Open for the first time in his career. It was only his second Grand Slam title as well. In the women’s singles category, world number two Sabalenka defeated America’s Jessica Pegula in the final in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 7-5 to lift the title. It was her third Grand Slam triumph and second in 2025.

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Former world number one Conners, who won eight major titles in his illustrious career, was recently quoted in a report where he praised both winners. The 72-year-old was of the opinion that recent victories have given both Sinner and Sabalenka an edge over other players who would have ‘fear’ in facing any of them in the future.

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"Here’s my thought, Jannik Sinner and Sabalenka now have a fear factor, the other players fear them now," he said. "So what that means is, are they going to start winning matches before they even walk out there. The confidence, ‘I’ll play you for five hours if need be, whatever it takes, you’re going to have to figure out a way to beat me because hopefully I don’t beat myself. To me, that’s what great players work for. They have the game and they have the mentality and they have everything that goes along with winning matches but they have that little something extra that lets their opponent know that, 'You gotta kill me to beat me.' That’s something special and I think the two of them, Sinner and Sabalenka, now have that. That’s pretty special.”