Tennis-Sabalenka pushes back on party talk after dominant second-round win

Double defending champion Aryna Sabalenka ​bristled at a reporter's suggestion the events ​and appearances surrounding the U.S. Open ‌had ​included "parties and fun" after she cruised past Polina Iatcenko 6-1 6-1 on Wednesday.

The Belarusian, who had faced a similar line of questioning after her ‌first-round win, fired back that her off-court appearances had not come at the expense of her preparations for the Grand Slam. "You guys are, like, a joke. Parties, fun... like, why would you even say that? Why ‌would you even think about that? What kind of question is that?" the world number one said.

"Just ‌because I posted, like, some activities with brands, and you think that I've been partying, not training?" she added, cutting the exchange short. Turning to her performance on Wednesday, the four-times Grand Slam winner said she was pleased with both her level ⁠and her ​focus after another dominant performance ⁠at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"I've been working really hard, but I feel like I'm kind of moving away from trying to ⁠be perfect on court," Sabalenka said. "I know that you cannot be perfect, and I'm just trying to work with what ​I have right now." Sabalenka will continue her search for a third straight title in New York ⁠and avoid ending the year without a major, as she tries to recover her best form after not winning a title ⁠since ​claiming the Miami Open in March.

"I think I struggled a little bit in the middle of the season. Once again, I'm not going to defend myself or explain why, what happened, but I'm ⁠happy with my level," the 28-year-old said. "I can definitely say that mentally I'm way stronger than I was ⁠in the middle of ⁠the season, and physically I also feel stronger. I feel like I'm on my level of play, and I just want to bring the right focus ‌on the match ‌every time."