Just when you thought Aryna Sabalenka might be nursing a US Open hangover, she reminded everyone why she’s the queen of Wuhan. But it wasn’t a walk in the park. In her first match since hoisting her fourth Grand Slam trophy in New York, the world No. 1 had to dig deep, shake off some serious rust, and battle back from a set down to fend off a fiery Rebecca Sramkova. The final score read 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. For a while there, it looked like an upset was brewing.

A Shaky Start For the Champ

Coming off a month-long break, Sabalenka looked, well, human. Her game was riddled with uncharacteristic errors, and her powerhouse serve wasn’t quite firing on all cylinders. Sramkova , ranked 68th, came out swinging for the fences and took full advantage. The Slovak

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