Aryna Sabalenka made her way to a little girl and shared a heartwarming moment with the latter following her resounding second-round win at the 2024 US Open. The 2023 runner-up registered a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win over Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti to reach the third round at the hardcourt Major for the third successive year.
After the match, a little girl in the crowd caught Sabalenka’s attention, who then rushed to meet the young fan. As the cameras zoomed in on the unfolding moment, it turned out that the girl was an avid fan of the Belarusian as the clothes she donned were similar to Sabalenka’s US Open outfit. She also had a fake tiger tattoo, similar to the one the World No. 2 has on her left arm. Additionally, the little girl was adorably holding a cute tiger soft toy.
Sabalenka had a straightforward start to her 2024 US Open campaign. The Belarusian defeated Australia’s Priscilla Hon 6-3, 6-3 in the first round to progress to the second. Meanwhile, Bronzetti cemented her spot in the second round after getting a walkover following her first-round opponent Lulu Sun’s mid-match retirement with an apparent hip injury.
Against Bronzetti on Wednesday, August 28, the World No. 2 was relentless, proving particularly devastating with both her first and second serves and firing five aces along the way. The Belarusian’s return game was strong as well. She mustered eight break point opportunities, four of which she converted.
Sabalenka is likely to face a sterner test of her US Open title credentials at Flushing Meadows in the next round, where Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova awaits her.
Aryna Sabalenka set to lock horns against Ekaterina Alexandrova in US Open 2024 3R
Aryna Sabalenka needs to get past World No. 31 and No. 29 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round to continue gunning for her third Major title at this year’s US Open. The Belarusian and the Russian have faced each other on six occasions, and considering their 3-3 head-to-head status, the pair’s third-round clash at Flushing Meadows could be a tight affair.
Sabalenka and Alexandrova’s most recent meeting came in the fourth round of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. On that particular occasion, it was eventual semifinalist Sabalenka who came out on top with a dominant 6-4, 6-0 victory.
The winner of the match between the Belarusian and the Russian will go on to face either No. 14 seed and 2017 US Open finalist Madison Keys or Elise Mertens in the fourth round.
