Sabalenka steamrolls past Pegula to take one step closer to the future

Whenever I watch Aryna Sabalenka play tennis, I can’t help but think of the future. For this is what the 22-year-old Belarusian embodies: tennis’ high-octane incarnation of forthcoming power, strength, size and sound. Sabalenka is a movie poster, a massive billboard stretched across Times Square and Sunset Boulevard, bursting with expressive colors, large block letters and exclamation points. Coming soon, to a Grand Slam near you.

The future, though, is meaningless when it comes to winning tennis matches. “Potential don’t want to hear about it,” the great tennis mind Pancho Segura once told me. “Let me see what you’ve got now.” In tonight’s first-round match, the eighth-seeded Sabalenka took in the present in the form of Jessica Pegula, a tenacious 26-year-old American who has made her way up the ranks from 125 at the end of 2018 to her current rank of 60. The past was also a factor. Just last month, at the Cincinnati/New York event, the two met for the first time, Pegula winning in three sets.

But on that occasion, the slick hard court added more zip and penetration to Pegula’s strokes. While the surface in New York provided Pegula with a reward, the clay of Roland Garros issued a harsh penalty, enforced rather sternly by Sabalenka. In 73 minutes – nearly half as long as their New York battle -- Sabalenka disposed of Pegula, 6-3, 6-1.

Cedric Lecocq / FFT

Yet at this stage of her career, it’s rare to see a Sabalenka match proceed routinely. Serving at 3-1 in the first set, Sabalenka held an ad and went for far too much on a routine volley. Over the course of seven deuces and five break points, she surrendered her serve. Hand it to Pegula for hanging in the rallies, occasionally lacing a forehand and at last earning the break with a fine drop shot.

There followed three straight service breaks. In the first set, Pegula won only nine points on her serve. Serving at 3-4, 15-40 she sprayed a backhand long. With Sabalenka serving at 5-3, 15-30, Pegula netted a facile forehand, then missed two consecutive service returns.

From that point on, Sabalenka was a steamroller. There was little Pegula could do other than cover the court, keep a few balls in play and hope for Sabalenka to miss. Of course, given how Sabalenka conducts her business on the court, this remains a possibility. It is this very rawness that currently makes Sabalenka both frustrating and intriguing. It figures, for example, that Sabalenka’s favorite book is The Count of Monte Cristo, a French classic that includes this quote: “Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next.”

Tonight, though, Sabalenka hardly encountered much challenging weather. Pegula, in the main draw of Roland Garros for only the second time (losing in the first round last year), is stock order American: compact, flat, of limited power and tactical range. Little of that proved effective during this match.

Sabalenka will next face a much different opponent. Daria Kasatkina, a quarterfinalist here two years ago, upped her Roland Garros record to 10-4 with a swift 6-2, 6-1 win over Harmony Tan. Kasatkina won their only prior meeting, beating Sabalenka, 6-4, 7-6, in Beijing in 2019. But even more intriguing is the stylistic contrast. Consider Sabalenka a summer blockbuster, propelled by a vivid plot and a memorable soundtrack. Kasatkina, at her best as eclectic a stylist as anyone in tennis, is a subtle tale of manners and tactics. Sabalenka-Kasatkina could well be one of the most engaging matches of week one.