Sabalenka Wins WTA New Haven for 1st Career Title

Twenty-year-old Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus won her first career title on Saturday, in the Connecticut Open final deafeting Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-1, 6-4 in the final.
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“I am so happy with my first title,” Sabalenka said, “This is a great feeling…I have to work more because the next year I have to do it again. This is how I feel right now.”

She improved to 1-2 in career finals after losing in the Tianjin championship to Maria Sharapova, and in Eastbourne losing to Caroline Wozniacki.

Sabalenka is projected to make her Top 20 debut on Monday.

“I didn’t have some [career] plan,” said Sabalenka. “I was just, like, ‘Keep going, keep fighting.’ Now I am 20 years old and I have my first title, so…it’s okay.

“I’m so happy that I got one title,” said the protege of former ATP player Dimitri Tursunov. “I will just work more, just to try to keep going, keep showing my best tennis, and we will see.”

Suarez Navarro fell to 2-9 in career finals.