By Erik Gudris | Sunday, August 24, 2025
Photo Credit: Cincinnati Open Facebook
As Billie Jean King said, “pressure is a privilege.”
Seed Sabalenka Perhaps she felt the two as she entered Arthur Ashe Stadium to start protecting her open title in the US.
Pressure to be two US Open defensive champions and still looking for its first big title of 2025. However, the privilege of being a defense champion and the opening of the match at Ashe Stadium.
And as she fought at the beginning, world No.1 certainly ended strong to put it in the right frame of mind for the challenges that will come in the next two weeks.
Sabalenka enabled Switzerland’s past Rebeka Masarova 7-5, 6-1 to reach the second round on the day of the opening of the Grand Slam Final of the Year.
The first set was much closer than much expected after the world no. 109 Masarova hanged fiercely with sabalenka to the end. Masarova, with a powerful and precursor service, won the first set of set service in the fifth match.
Sabalenka broke down immediately, but Masarova would not withdraw. With both players who then bear the service, a tie seemed immediate.
However, when Masarova served 5-6, Sabalenka produced a trademark winner to reach the appointed point. Sabalenka showed stellar defense at the next point, reaching a Masarova blow, and then following a short ball for a winner to seal the 7-5 set.
In the second set, Sabalenka fought outside the numerous resting points in her opening service game. The level of Masarova itself fell to the wrong time. The 26-year-old Swiss was thrown into two double mistakes in her future service game to give Sabalenka lead.
From there, she was in the races for sabalenka. She won another break later for 4-0 when Masarova threw into another double premature point.
Sabalenka would soon close the 7-5, 6-1 victory in just less than 90 minutes for her 51st victory in the season.
Protecting Sabalenka’s open title, if she finishes it, would be a rare, at least in recent years. No champion of open women’s single women in the US has successfully defended their title since Serena Williams did this again in 2014.
Next for sabalenka is Polya Kuddermita Who defeated the Brisbane final earlier this year.
