Aryna Sabalenka shares touching moment with boyfriend after storming to US Open title

Aryna Sabalenka shared a heartwarming moment with her boyfriend after retaining her US Open title. She earned a convincing victory over Amanda Anisimova to claim the honours in New York for the second year in a row. It saw Sabalenka claim the final Grand Slam title of the season, having missed out at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.

The 27-year-old was visibly delighted after winning the final point and celebrated wildly as she soaked up the applause of the crowd. After racing to her equipment bag and putting on a watch, she ventured into the stands to greet her team and those closest to her. Sabalenka made a beeline for her boyfriend Georgios Frangulis, a Brazilian business mogul and entrepreneur.

The pair hugged tightly before exchanging a few words and sharing a cheeky kiss, which was picked up by the TV cameras. After a few seconds, Sabalenka broke the embrace and went off to find the rest of her team and coaching staff.

It was a perfect night for the Belarusian, who avenged her defeat to Anisimova in the Wimbledon semi-finals earlier this year. She needed a tiebreak to win the second set but dominated it to secure a well-deserved 6-3 7-6 (7-3) victory.

In her post-match press conference, Sabalenka confessed that she embraced the crowd on her way to her latest Grand Slam triumph.

"I feel like throughout the years, we've built our relationship, and you guys give me so much support," she declared.

"My first year here, when I saw that I had to play back-to-back against Americans, I was just like: 'No way. Please. I don't wanna play'.

"Then, coming back the next year, and I have to play back-to-back against Americans in the semis and finals, I felt a bit more support. This year I felt even more support.

"So I'm super excited to come back next year. I hope you're all gonna cheer for me. Thank you guys for bringing the best atmosphere."

Anisimova, meanwhile, admitted that her nerves got the better of her for the second time in as many Grand Slam tournaments. She reached the Wimbledon final during the summer but suffered a chastening 6-0 6-0 defeat at the hands of Iga Swiatek.

"I just felt like throughout the match I wasn't playing my best tennis," said the American.

"With finals I get a lot of nerves and it's something I'm trying to work on. I wish I had played more aggressive."

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