Sinner & Sabalenka Gain Fear Factor After US Open Wins Says Connors

The 2024 US Open crowned two new champions.

Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner emerged victorious with little resistance. Sabalenka dominated the women’s side, losing just one set to Ekaterina Alexandrova and facing minor trouble against Jessica Pegula in the final. Overall, her path was straightforward on the WTA Tour.

Sinner, on the men’s side, also had a smooth run. He faced some challenging matches but managed to stay composed under pressure. In the final, he defeated Taylor Fritz in straight sets .

Connors’ Take:

Jimmy Connors shared his thoughts on his Advantage Connors podcast after the event. He believes both Sinner and Sabalenka now have a “fear factor” that intimidates other players. This dominance makes opponents wary even before stepping onto the court.

“She doesn’t want to start neutral. She wants to be aggressive and try to take advantage of that at the very beginning and intimidate.”

“So here’s my thought: Jannik Sinner and Sabalenka now have a fear factor; other players fear them now. So what that means is, are they going to start winning matches before they even walk out there?”

“The confidence, ‘I’ll play you for five hours if need be, whatever it takes; you’re going to have to figure out a way to beat me because hopefully I don’t beat myself.'”

Fans might think this new level of intimidation is exciting for future matches.

Connors isn’t wrong; we’ve seen this effect already. Alex Michelsen seemed defeated even before playing against Sinner. Similarly, Qinwen Zheng was easily overpowered by Sabalenka despite trying everything she could.

This mental edge is crucial in tennis because it often decides who wins or loses. According to Connors, achieving this level of psychological dominance is what great players strive for—it’s their ultimate goal.

“To me, that’s what great players work for,” Connors said. “They have the game and mentality needed but also something extra that tells their opponent, ‘You gotta kill me to beat me.’ That’s something special and I think both Sinner and Sabalenka now possess it.”

What do you think about these new champions?