"Drinks on me tonight" - Aryna Sabalenka shares hilarious strategy to win over the US Open crowd ahead of SF clash with Emma Navarro

Aryna Sabalenka shared her unique strategy to win over the 2024 US Open crowd ahead of her semifinal match against home favorite Emma Navarro. Sabalenka's hilarious comment came after her 6-1, 6-2 victory over seventh seed Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals.

The Belarusian star made it to her fourth consecutive US Open semifinal and her ninth Grand Slam semifinal overall. Sabalenka’s campaign began with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Priscilla Hon in the first round. The second seed continued her winning streak by defeating Lucia Bronzetti, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Elise Mertens, and now Zheng Qinwen.

In a post-match on-court interview following her quarterfinal victory, Sabalenka joked about offering drinks to the crowd if they cheer for her during the semifinal.

"Um, drinks on me tonight? Ok guys, drink on me and please give me some support in the next match," Aryna Sabalenka said, eliciting laughter from the audience.

Sabalenka’s relationship with the New York crowd has been a rollercoaster. Last year, during her US Open final loss to Coco Gauff, Sabalenka felt the lack of support from the crowd and was visibly emotional after her defeat. During the trophy ceremony, the Belarusian humorously called out the fans, saying they could have shown her similar support during the match.

"You guys could’ve supported like this during the match. I am most proud that I was able to, most of the times, handle my emotions pretty well and focus on myself and not on the ranking. I think this is the best thing about this year," Aryna Sabalenka said.

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Aryna Sabalenka and Emma Navarro have an even head-to-head record

Aryna Sabalenka at the 2024 French Open (Source: Getty Images)

Aryna Sabalenka and Emma Navarro have faced each other twice on the WTA tour, with their head-to-head record standing at 1-1. Their first encounter was at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells earlier this year, where Navarro won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in the Round of 16.

Their most recent match was at the 2024 French Open Round of 16, where Sabalenka won convincingly with a score of 6-2, 6-3 on the clay courts.

13th-seeded Navarro has had an impressive run at the 2024 US Open so far, reaching her maiden Grand Slam semifinal. The American's campaign began with dominant victories over Anna Blinkova and Arantxa Rus, both with scores of 6-1, 6-1. In the third round, she faced a tough challenge from 19th seed Marta Kostyuk but secured a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win.

Emma Navarro pulled off the biggest upset in the women’s draw by defeating compatriot and defending champion Coco Gauff 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the Round of 16. In the quarterfinals, she faced 26th seed Paula Badosa and staged a remarkable comeback from a 5-1 deficit in the second set to win 6-2, 7-5.

The other semifinal will feature the winners of the quarterfinal match between top seed Iga Swiatek vs sixth seed Jessica Pegula and 22nd seed Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Karolina Muchova.