'Red rag to a bull' - Sabalenka's extra motivation to win US Open

Aryna Sabalenka views the US Open final as an opportunity to stop Elena Rybakina from overtaking her at the summit of the WTA rankings, although even a title may not be enough to safeguard her own 99‑week stint at No. 1. With Rybakina guaranteed to replace Sabalenka at the top should she reach the semifinals, the Kazakh’s recent Australian Open victory over the Belarusian adds further stakes to their upcoming fourth meeting of the year. The prospect fuels Sabalenka’s drive, as former British No. 1 Annabel Croft told BBC Radio 5 Live, “It is going to beryllium reddish rag to a bull for her - she is not going to beryllium happy.” Croft added, “Now she has the chance to end this year on a high.” Sabalenka, who has defeated Rybakina at Indian Wells and Miami since the Melbourne final, remains focused on becoming only the third woman in the Open era to capture the New York singles crown three consecutive times. Her semifinal triumph over American Jessica Pegula—described as her finest performance in months, marked by renewed fire and fight—set the stage for the showdown. After the match, Sabalenka downplayed the significance of losing her ranking, joking that she did not care about it. Yet her coach Anton Dubrov acknowledged the underlying impact, stating, “I really like this [losing the ranking] happened. It's ended and it's other fuel,” and elaborated, “There is no more draining [of mental energy] or thinking about it. There's a new chapter now. You have to chase again. It's extra motivation for you. Just go and get it.”