Aryna Sabalenka is into the US Open final for the second year in a row, hoping to go one step further than her defeat in the 2023 showpiece against Coco Gauff, this time up against another home favourite in Jessica Pegula.

Sabalenka, the world No. 2, has already sent one American packing by defeating Emma Navarro in straight sets to reach the final. This time last year, however, she was informing her team that they were all “fired” in New York.

In more parallels to the previous year, Sabalenka also defeated another Stateside star in Madison Keys to reach the final against Gauff, but exchanged some heated words with her camp while on court and repeatedly gestured towards them to vent her frustrations.

When asked for her thoughts on the exchanges, Sabalenka explained: “They (are) fired, they’re not my team anymore. It’s all their fault. No, no. I mean, we spoke a lot after those tough semi-finals and we spoke that if I need to throw those emotions, I have to do it. Otherwise, I’ll just, I don’t know eat myself from the inside. So that’s why I was just like yelling, screaming, swearing to them.

“I mean I think they know that I still love them. It’s just for better, you know, it’s for a good reason. I don’t know guys, it’s too late. I am really struggling speaking, especially English.”

Sabalenka’s coaching staff is led by Anton Dubrov, who has worked with the Belarusian since 2020 and survived the tongue-in-cheek threat of being sacked at Flushing Meadows, and undoubtedly will be working tirelessly before Saturday’s final.

And Sabalenka knows that a Pegula in fine form will be tough competition on Arthur Ashe. “I mean, we had a lot of great battles in the past, really difficult, tight matches,” Sabalenka said of her final opponent. “She playing really incredible tennis. We played recently in Cincinnati. Was really tough match, even though I closed the match in two sets, but still it wasn’t that easy.

“She’s playing her best tennis, I would say, and feels like she’s back on track. I mean, she won the tournament, then she made the final, then she’s here, a step away from another final. So she’s in incredible shape. It’s going to be another great battle against her. Yeah, cannot way to play against her.”

But having won 26 of her last 27 Grand Slam matches on hardcourts, Sabalenka will feel confident that she can win her first-ever US Open, with her trusty coaching staff by her side despite informing them that they had been “fired” last year.