Aryna Sabalenka eases past Emma Navarro to reach second straight US Open final

Aryna Sabalenka reached her second consecutive US Open women’s singles final by beating Emma Navarro 6-3, 7-6 (2) with her usual high-risk, high-reward style of tennis.

The second-seeded player came just short of winning the title last year when he lost to Coco Gauff in front of a fanatical crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. But in this semifinal, he didn’t want another American opponent to get too busy.

When things got exciting in the second set and the crowd suddenly started cheering Navarro very loudly, the 2023 number two suddenly had to think of a year ago in the same place.

“I was like, ‘Okay, Aryna, you have to stay focused. Stay in your thoughts. Focus on yourself,'” Sabalenka said. “And yes, I was thinking a lot.”

Sabalenka entered her second consecutive final at Flushing Meadows with a strong start and a late surge, but Navarro did not give up, even when she was on the ropes in the second set. Despite trailing for much of the match and the noise around her increasing, Navarro broke when Sabalenka served for the win at 5-4.

“I wasn’t ready for the game to be over,” Navarro said.

But in the tiebreak that followed, Sabalenka took control after Navarro led 2-0 and took all the remaining points.

“I got my teeth into it at the end of the second set,” Navarro said, “and I felt like I could definitely push it into a third. It didn’t work out.”

Sabalenka will play sixth-seeded Jessica Pegula or unseeded Karolina Muchova for the cup on Saturday.

“I’m ready to compete against whoever,” Sabalenka said. “Lesson learned from last year. I really hope I’ll do a little bit better than last year.”

Navarro stunned Gauff in the fourth round en route to a first Grand Slam semifinal, where she showed the skill and tenacity that got her there. Even when the 23-year-old reached 5-all late in the match, there was no way to tell what had just happened by looking at Navarro. The sounds from the seats were an indication.

But soon thousands of ticket holders were cheering Sabalenka on for her latest display of hardcourt mastery, as she now reaches her fourth consecutive major final on the surface.

“Well guys, now you’re cheering for me,” Sabalenka said with a laugh during her on-court interview. “Well, it’s a little bit too late.”

By the end of the match, Sabalenka had produced 34 winners and 34 unforced errors, finishing most of her groundstrokes with a shout, while Navarro had 13 winners and 13 unforced errors.

Sabalenka showed that she is not just a swing-from-the-heels power player, even though that is the basis of her game. She delivered a perfectly timed return winner to help break for a 4-2 lead early in the set. She then offered two wonderfully delicate drop shots to earn points later in the set.

When Navarro failed to get a return in play after a 100 mph serve, Sabalenka was halfway to victory. A break to take a 3-2 lead seemed to give Sabalenka the lead in the second set as well, but Navarro held on. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough.