Aryna Sabalenka has said that she is 'still hoping' some fans will support her in the US Open final despite the fact that she will be playing against home player Coco Gauff.

Second seed Sabalenka will face sixth seed Gauff in the final at Flushing Meadows today, Saturday, September 9. The Belarusian has had, for the most part, a solid run at the tournament so far, having defeated the likes of thirteenth seed Daria Kasatkina and twenty-third seed Qinwen Zheng in straight sets.

However, her first match against an American player at the New York major came in the semi-finals, where she had a bit more difficulty in ousting seventeenth seed Madison Keys. Sabalenka lost the first set 0-6 and had to fight back hard to win the next two sets 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5).

Speaking after her match against Keys, Sabalenka confessed that she wished the final did not include a home player due to the fact that it puts the crowd's support firmly behind her opponent.

"Of course I would prefer have someone else or crowd would be, like, a little bit probably like same to both players," she said, "But, I mean, today's match I think gonna help me in the finals, because I mean, I'll be fine with this support. I'll be all right."

Nevertheless, the 25-year-old did express her hope that some members of the crowd would be on her side in the final.

"I'll still hoping, I'm still hoping that probably some of them will be supporting me. Will be just a little bit. Just sometimes, please. Please," she continued.

Gauff has looked steady and focused throughout the US Open while living up to the hype around her caused by a hugely successful North American swing. The 19-year-old won both the WTA 500 DC Open and the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open in August, and will now be vying for her maiden Grand Slam title.

Meanwhile, Sabalenka has been proving at the tournament why she will become World No. 1 when the WTA Ranking is updated next week and will be keen to add to this success with a second victory in a major final, after having won the Australian Open earlier this year.