"It's impossible to act as if expectations don't exist," admits Dubrov, Sabalenka's coach
Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova will face off this Saturday in the grand final of the 2025 US Open. The world number one, still performing exceptionally well in hard-court Grand Slams, will play her third consecutive final in New York (lost to Gauff in 2023 and won against Pegula in 2024) and her eighth final across all tournaments on the main tour since January.
After reaching the final in the last three tournaments in Melbourne, the Minsk native is just one step away from the double at Flushing Meadows. However, to win the title, she will have to overcome Anisimova, who has beaten her six times in her career, including in the Wimbledon semifinal this summer.
Her coach, Anton Dubrov, discussed the keys to the match for his protégé just hours before she takes the court against the American player.
"The difficulty for her is that in the final, she almost always faces an underdog who has nothing to lose. The players often perform at 110%, playing freely, hitting their shots more aggressively and taking more risks.
Aryna (Sabalenka) must be aware of this, prepare better for it, accept that she might lose, and at the same time, appreciate her journey and the fact that she's doing the right things to reach the final so often.
Even though she's playing very well and stringing together good results, the trophy doesn't belong to her. Her consistency doesn't guarantee her the title. She also has to embrace all the expectations. It's impossible to act as if they don't exist. It's better to learn to manage them than to try to push them away.
The goal is to ensure that the support for the opponent (Anisimova) doesn't turn into pressure, and to make sure Aryna uses it to her advantage. You can't act as if it doesn't exist—it's impossible—but you have to show that you're ready to face anything.
If you show that it affects you, that there's a weakness to exploit, it becomes very difficult," Dubrov stated for L'Équipe. The women's final between Sabalenka and Anisimova will start at 10 p.m. in France.
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"Nothing to lose"? Nothing could be further from the truth. The winner takes home a lot more in prize money and makes more money from endorsements after winning a major. Also, many top level players have incentive clauses in endorsement contracts such that they get more money the higher they go in high profile tournaments.
Then there is the additional points. This can give a player a higher ranking which means they get a higher seeding in tournaments and thus have an easier route to going deep in other tournaments ... meaning more money and more points and an even higher ranking.