Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka rock at US Open 2024 in a long tennis season

This is indeed unique. In a long 2024 tennis season, which also happens to be the year of the Summer Olympics, two champions from different regions of Europe, Italy and Belarus, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka emerged champions at the Australian Open and US Open.

What's the connection between Melbourne and New York? Well, both are hard-court events in the Grand Slam calendar and are defining. If the first Major in January traditionally defines the start of the Grand Slam season, the US Open is like a sign-off.

For Jannik Sinner, under immense pressure over the last 19 days, his massive win over Taylor Fritz in the US Open final is a sign he has matured as a champion. To beat the American in straight sets was a reflection of his strength, more mental than physical as he faced bad press, in a locker room that was cold.

Sinner overcame it all. Since the time the ITIA, an independent testing body had come out with a report four days before the US Open on Sinner having tested positive for Clostebol, a steroid, during the Indians Wells tournament in March, all hell broke loose.

How Sinner coped with all of it is proof he has shown great mentality in winning seven matches at the US Open, where big names like Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic fell by the wayside in New York in the first week itself.

How Sinner managed to keep all the negativity aside and focus on his tennis defines his champion mindset, no matter what the other players talked about him. Someone like Nick Kyrgios, whose fame in tennis is one Wimbledon final appearance, had resorted to cheap talk on Sinner.

First, it was on his dope tests and how he had been let off. The second had to do with something personal, where it concerned someone from the opposite sex. There was a call to sack Kyrgios as commentator but it hardly mattered to Italian Sinner as he went about his job methodically.

To win the Australian Open and then have a slump in form, yet hang on to his World No.1 ranking and then peak in New York has been defining. When he skipped the Paris 2024 Olympics, tongues wagged, as Sinner was battling tonsilitis.

He may have been unable to compete in the Paris clay but to raise his level again on the hard courts of New York where he faced opponents on the court and critics off the court was draining. He has now sealed the deal, though nobody can stop tongues from wagging.

As long as Sinner wins fair and square, whether he was let off lightly following two positive dope tests is irrelevant now. Back to the 26-year-old Aryna Sabalenka, she has also been a wonderful case study for someone who has peaked on the hard courts in melting Melbourne and rainy New York, where she played with the roof shut.

Sabalenka has faced a lot of hurdles in her career but her approach to tennis has been bold. The gap between the outdoor hard season in Australia and the US Open swing is a long one. For her to ensure peak fitness and come out firing was proof she is capable of maximizing her potential in all conditions.

The tennis rankings are a bit crazy, where the queen of clay, Iga Swiatek, is still No.1. Aryna Sabalenka does not mind it at all as she has three Majors to her credit, two from Australia and one from New York.

For those who follow the tennis seasons closely, 2024 has been a long one and for two players, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka to lend a turbo thrust to their campaign has ensured tennis is not stale. There was talk of Big 3 or Fab 4 in the men's section fading away.

The rise of Sinner and Sabalenka showcasing her strength on the hard courts is refreshing. No one can say this season was stale or boring. The season-ending finale in the ATP and WTA calendars will also be watched with immense interest.