Aryna Sabalenka pressed home her claim to be the best hard-court player in the world as she won her maiden US Open title.

Sabalenka won a fabulously entertaining final against Jessica Pegula, the doughty American, who nevertheless made her toil for her success.

It was a hard-earned triumph, and there were moments when Sabalenka must have feared a repeat of last year’s final against Coco Gauff: a match in which she lost her target computer and committed dozens of unforced errors.

This time, though, Sabalenka held her nerve even when Pegula threatened a repeat of Gauff’s comeback from one set down.

In the end, the woman with the tiger tattoo had the might, the fight and the bite to overcome Pegula’s courageous challenge by a 7-5, 7-5 scoreline. Sabalenka climbed into the stands after claiming the final point with one of her inexorable dashes to the net — a tactic that won her 18 points from 23 attempts.

Sabalenka had missed Wimbledon and the Olympic Games on account of a shoulder injury which prevented her from serving properly. Here, though, her serve was ferocious, reaching a high point of 119mph.

The contest felt like a heavyweight taking on a bantamweight. Pegula managed to extend it further than many would have expected, especially after facing a break point that would have seen her go 0-4 down in the second set.

After saving that break point with a bold forehand up the line, Pegula went on a five-game tear that put her in pole position to level the match at one set apiece. She was standing her ground with some punchy shot-making.

But Sabalenka wasn’t done. Playing what the commentator Mary Carillo has dubbed “big babe tennis”, she stopped the rot by holding for 4-3 and then extended that service hold into her own four-game sequence. Pegula deserves great credit for putting up such stout resistance. The crowd did their best to roar Pegula on, yet they also gave Sabalenka some appreciation.

How could one not, when she swings as hard as any woman in the history of the game? At this event, her forehand has travelled at a higher average speed than anyone else’s, be they male or female.

Over the last two seasons, Sabalenka has now played in all 28 rounds at the two hard-court slams in Melbourne and New York. She has won 27 of those matches, with the one exception coming against Gauff here last year.

Sabalenka’s compatriot Max Mirnyi, an equally imposing physical specimen, used to be known as the ‘Beast of Belarus’ when he was winning major doubles titles in the Noughties.

Perhaps Sabalenka should now be granted that title, having proved herself to be the ultimate apex predator.

The Daily Telegraph in London