Defending champion Sabalenka through in New York

US Open 2025

Dates: August 24 through September 7 in Flushing Meadows, New York

Rebeka Masarova defeated Aryna Sabalenka to start her US Open title defense in New York, giving her more authority and confidence.

Sabalenka defeated Swiss rival Masarova 7-5 6-1 after a shaky opening.

Max Mirnyi, a 10-time Grand Slam doubles champion who was hired to serve as a support to coach Anton Dubrov, watched her from her box.

Mirnyi, who earned the nickname “the Beast” during his professional playing days due to his fearless height and 6’4″ height, has been working with Sabalenka to improve her net abilities as she strives to win the Grand Slam championship.

Sabalenka said, “I think we’ve improved a few things together and I’m looking forward to working with this wonderful guy.”

“Hopefully we can finally make my volley better; maybe one day I’ll use the net more frequently, but for the time being, it’s still a work in progress.”

Sabalenka wants to win the title of New York’s first woman since Serena Williams in 2014.

She has lost the French and Australian Open finals, making at least the last four of each of her previous three Grand Slam victories this year.

The three-time Grand Slam champion, who had a poor Cincinnati Open performance, scrapped past Emma Raducanu before falling to Elena Rybakina, who arrived at Flushing Meadows.

Sabalenka was forced to start with a shaky start when Masarova broke her in the fifth game of the first set before leveling herself at 3-3.

The top seed produced a stunning defensive return to the Swiss’s overhead smash before Sabalenka earned a set point at 6-5, which Masarova believed she had saved.

Masarova was forced to make a lobbed return, which Sabalenka roared down the line to take the opening set.

As Sabalenka raced to victory, Masarova, the world number 108, was deflated from there on and only served once in the second set.