World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka found herself at the center of a déjà vu moment at the 2025 US Open when a physically demanding rally ended with her dropping into a full split, eerily reminiscent of Serena Williams a decade earlier.
Why Did Aryna Sabalenka’s Split Spark Memories of Serena Williams?
The Belarusian closed out a 6-3, 7-6 (2) victory over Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the third round at Louis Armstrong Stadium, finishing the match in just under an hour and 40 minutes. The remarkable forehand winner that sealed the point drew raucous applause from the New York crowd and left Sabalenka smiling in disbelief at what had just unfolded.
The moment carried extra weight because Williams, widely considered one of the sport’s greatest athletes, produced a nearly identical move during her third-round clash against Bethanie Mattek-Sands at the 2015 US Open. That year, Williams executed a split to snatch a point in the deciding set, underscoring both her power and flexibility at age 33.
The official US Open Instagram account captured the parallel perfectly by posting a side-by-side video of Sabalenka’s split against Fernandez and Williams’ split against Mattek-Sands. Sabalenka expressed her surprise when she saw the comparison. Resharing the clip on her Instagram story, she captioned it: “No way😱🔥”
Sabalenka Shares the Reason She Didn’t Idolize Williams as a Child
In a recent Boardroom interview, Sabalenka recalled being called the next Serena Williams but said the comparisons meant little to her as she was focused on improving her game.
“Of course, I want to dominate the way Serena was dominating the tour,” Sabalenka said. “But growing up, I didn’t have any idols. I don’t know if it’s good or bad because everyone was inspired by someone, and I want to be an inspiration for the next generation. I think that’s the goal in life.”
“But, personally, I was just too focused. Maybe I was just too selfish and too much in love with myself (laughs), so I was doing my thing. But I never had idols,” she added.
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Looking ahead, the Belarusian secured her fifth straight trip to the US Open fourth round, while also gaining payback for her 2021 semifinal defeat to Fernandez. The top seed will now take on Cristina Bucșa in the Round of 16. This will be their first meeting on the WTA Tour, with the winner meeting either ninth seed Elena Rybakina or Markéta Vondroušová in the quarterfinals.