"It didn't come easy for Aryna Sabalenka" - Andy Roddick praises 2025 US Open winner for curbing serving yips

Aryna Sabalenka's emphatic win at the 2025 US Open forced Andy Roddick to tip his hat to the World No. 1, especially after she overcame her "full-blown serving yips." She defeated home favorite Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6(3) in the final on Saturday, September 6.

In her six matches in New York (a quarterfinal walkover), Sabalenka hit 19 double faults, the same number that she registered during her second-round win over Xinyu Wang at the 2022 Australian Open. Before winning her first Major in Melbourne in 2023, the Belarusian struggled big-time with her serve for a couple of years.

She hit a massive 338 double faults in the 2021 season, which worsened to 428 in 2022. Things started to improve from thereon, as Aryna Sabalenka registered a combined 490 double faults over the next two years. In the ongoing season, the number stands at 141, significantly better than World No. 2 Iga Swiatek (194) and No. 3 Coco Gauff (347).

Speaking on the 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast, the former player lauded the four-time Grand Slam winner for improving her serve.

"We don't mention it enough. She had full-blown serving yips three years ago. You could see it [at the 2025 US Open], the way she took her time, she was more emotional. It was more relief and pride than it was out-and-out happiness," Roddick said (36:12).

The 2003 US Open winner said he had a fair idea about how difficult it is to bring such a drastic change.

"You could see that she took the moment, and it gripped her, and it meant more to her. That's because it didn't come easy for her this year. It didn't just happen. It was hard. It was grit. She was gutted a couple of times this year. That's what makes the moment sweeter. I was happy to see it for her. We appreciate her more," he added.

Earlier this season, Sabalenka lost the Australian Open final to Madison Keys and the French Open final to Coco Gauff. Meanwhile, Amanda Anisimova defeated the 27-year-old in the Wimbledon semifinals.

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Aryna Sabalenka becomes first woman to defend US Open title since Serena Williams in 2014

Aryna Sabalenka at the 2025 US Open - Source: Getty

Serena Williams won the US Open three times in a row, from 2012 to 2014. Since then, no other WTA player was able to defend her title at Flushing Meadows until Saturday, September 6, when Aryna Sabalenka downed Amanda Anisimova in the final.

Ahead of the last Major of the year, a reporter reminded the Belarusian that she could be the first to do so in 11 years. Sabalenka said (via Sportstar):

"I was trying to ignore that statistic. My thought is to change that. But, wow, that’s insane, you know, how unpredictable women’s tennis is, right? Should we change it? Should we at least try to change it?”

"I love this place. I have amazing memories from last year. I think it’s a lot of pressure, definitely. But I feel like I'm experienced enough to just focus on myself and try to replicate that result," she added.

In the 2024 US Open final, Aryna Sabalenka defeated another American, Jessica Pegula, in straight sets.