"I was touched by both": Aryna Sabalenka lauds Serena–Sharapova for showing kindness after rivalry

Aryna Sabalenka began her US Open title defense with a strong start, moving into the second round after a composed first-round performance. The world No. 1 overcame a tough first set and took control in the second half of the match to secure her first victory of the tournament, 7-5, 6-1, against Rebeka Masarova.

While the Belarusian admitted she wasn’t at her sharpest from the opening game, she quickly found her rhythm and left the court with plenty of positives to build on.

“Of course I’m happy to get this win and happy to be in the second round,” Sabalenka said. “I didn’t start my best in the first games, but then I found my rhythm and I’m happy with the level I played today.”

The reigning champion, who lifted her first US Open trophy last year, was as open off the court as she was aggressive on it. In her press conference, Sabalenka touched on everything from her fashion choices to her recent holiday in Greece, even reflecting on what rivalries in tennis mean to her.

One of the standout moments before Sabalenka even struck a ball was her dazzling arrival on court. Wearing a shiny, sparkly warm-up jacket, she immediately caught the eye of fans and cameras alike.

“I just wanted to enter the court as bright as possible and make sure everyone sees me,” she laughed. “Yeah, I love this jacket. It’s actually very shiny, and I think it fits my personality.”

Fashion, she explained, is more than just fun—it’s a part of her preparation and performance. “For me it feels like dressing up for an event,” she said. “The better I look, the better I perform. The better I feel with my outfit, the better I play. I really appreciate the Nike and Wilson team for working on something special. The racket is amazing, the outfit is very cool, and I threw some ideas to Nike. They came up with a really special dress, and I’m really grateful for that.”

The topic of tennis legends Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova came up during the press conference, after the two fierce rivals shared an emotional moment at Sharapova’s Hall of Fame induction. Sabalenka admitted she was deeply moved. “It was really inspiring and super kind,” she said. “You can see that tennis is just one small part of our lives, and to see them become that close and become friends is very inspiring.

“I was touched by the speeches from both of them. It’s a great message to the world that on court we are opponents and can be quite aggressive, but off the court we’re all kind and we’re all friends.”

That sentiment fed into a larger discussion about rivalries in modern tennis. With the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner building a friendly yet competitive relationship, Sabalenka was asked what she would like to see more of in both men’s and women’s rivalries.

“I would love to see more fun content, more fun stuff,” she said. “It would be really fun if these big players did some sort of podcast together, talking about tennis topics, having fun, maybe going out and being friendly. Just to show the world that tennis is one side, but off court we’re all friends and the environment is really healthy.”

This year, the US Open extended its schedule to start on Sunday instead of Monday, a change that has drawn mixed reactions from players. Sabalenka said she hadn’t chosen to play on Sunday, but she found positives in the new format.

“It’s a tricky question,” she admitted. “I didn’t choose to play on Sunday, but if you win the match it feels great. You have like an extra day off. It can be good and bad, but personally I got used to it and I kind of like it. But it only works when you win the match. Imagine if you finish the tournament on Sunday, then you can be a little frustrated with the scheduling. But as I get older, I prefer to have an extra day.”

Sabalenka returns to New York as a defending champion for the first time, and while she acknowledged the pressure, she framed it as a source of motivation rather than stress. “I love to be a defending champion. For me it’s motivation, and I want to do well,” she said. “I want to feel those emotions again and I really work hard for that. I hope I’ll be able to reach my goal here.”