NEW HAVEN, August 26, 2018

Aryna Sabalenka wrapped a breakout summer by winning her first WTA title at the Connecticut Open on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Belarussian beat Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, 6-1, 6-4, on Saturday in New Haven, putting a ribbon on a US Open Series campaign that also saw her notch three Top-10 wins, reach the semi-finals at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati and break into the Top 20 for the first time.

Sabalenka joins Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas – who beat four Top-10 players to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final at Rogers Cup in Toronto – as the 2018 US Open Series’ Breakout Performers.

“This is a great feeling,” Sabalenka said. “In the first second you are so happy, then you understand, I have to work more because the next year I have to do it again. 

“I was thinking about it, I would like to put my name there on the right. Well, I am so happy. It’s always nice to see your name, like a winner.”

Sabalenka will open her US Open campaign on Tuesday, playing US-American Danielle Collins.