Aryna Sabalenka credits Mykonos break and self-help book after US Open victory, celebrates with champagne

Aryna Sabalenka claimed her fourth Grand Slam title at the US Open, beating Amanda Anisimova in the final and celebrating with an exuberant champagne-drenched dressing-room party that she said followed a period of mental reset away from the tour.

The world No. 1 and her team sprayed Moet et Chandon inside the locker room after the victory, and Sabalenka entered her post-match news conference wearing protective "Moet goggles" and holding an open bottle, greeting reporters with, "Hello everybody! It's going to be a fun media." Asked about celebrations by fellow champion Sloane Stephens, Sabalenka replied, "Oh girl we gonna drink."

Sabalenka credited time away from the court and a book she read while on holiday in Mykonos for helping her control emotions that previously undermined her in major finals. She said the break came after defeat to Coco Gauff in the French Open final and earlier on-court incidents in Melbourne and Paris.

"I was in Mykonos, reading my book, enjoying the view and I was just thinking: ‘Why would I let my emotions take control over me in those two finals?'" Sabalenka said. She identified the book as Into the Magic Shop by neuroscientist James R. Doty, calling it "incredible" and saying it helped her "stay focused and to focus on the right things on important points."

Jason Stacey, Sabalenka’s mindset and fitness coach, said the change was visible in training and in her willingness to address issues. "She started reading a certain book. It all came together. For us that was a really nice thing that she started to actually initiate wanting to figure some things out, get things out of her head," Stacey said. "Because before she would have a habit of keeping it to herself until it becomes something bigger. That was pretty impressive to see."

On Arthur Ashe Stadium, Sabalenka showed composure when it mattered. Serving for the match at 30-30, she miscued a smash and was broken back, a scenario that previously might have triggered a negative spiral. Instead, she regrouped and produced a strong tiebreak to close out the victory.

Sabalenka, 27, said she entered the final determined to control her emotions regardless of how the match unfolded. Her tactical approach included a more patient defensive game against Anisimova, a player noted for aggressive, hard-hitting groundstrokes. Sabalenka used slices, lower contact points and redirected pace to blunt Anisimova’s power and to impose pressure.

"She plays really aggressive tennis," Sabalenka said. "I think that at Wimbledon I was overthinking. I was doubting my decisions, I was stopping my arms a lot, I was making a lot of mistakes. So going into this match, I knew that it's going to be very fast game, very aggressive. I was just trying to stay as low as possible. I was just trying to put that speed, that pressure back on her and see how she can handle it."

The title is Sabalenka’s fourth Grand Slam — two at the US Open and two at the Australian Open — and came with one of the largest prize purses in Grand Slam history, which she celebrated in the locker room. She dedicated the victory to her late father, Sergey, who died in 2019 at age 43. "When he passed away, I was very depressed," she said. "But in that moment, I decided to take it as motivation, to put our family name in the history. I want to believe, and I think I feel his protection from up there, and I know that he became my power. So it means a lot."

The triumph ends a run of high-profile meltdowns that have followed earlier in Sabalenka’s career, drawing attention to her emotional management as much as her power from the baseline. Her team’s emphasis on mindset work and the book Doty wrote, which advocates techniques for focus and self-regulation, appear to have been central to her preparation for Flushing Meadows.

Sabalenka’s victory leaves her in a commanding position atop the WTA rankings and adds to a season that began with high expectations and periodic setbacks. The immediate aftermath was celebratory, with teammates and coaches joining her in the locker room and the world No. 1 acknowledging both the personal and professional changes that contributed to the win.