World number one Aryna Sabalenka made a confident start to her US Open campaign on Monday, powering past Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4 as she began her bid for a rare three-peat at the year’s final Grand Slam.

The Belarusian arrived in New York looking to revive her fortunes after a disappointing second half of the season. Sabalenka has not reached a final since March, when she won Indian Wells and the Miami Open to complete the Sunshine Double.

But under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Sabalenka looked back to her best, producing an aggressive display in front of a supportive crowd.

The top seed struck 32 winners and rarely allowed Osorio to settle into a rhythm, setting up a second-round meeting with Russian Polina Iatcenko.

“I’m super happy with the level I played,” Sabalenka said after the match. “I feel like this is one of my favourite stadiums. I really experienced the best emotions here in this stadium.”

Sabalenka took control early after Osorio double-faulted to hand her a break in the third game. The Colombian struggled with her serve throughout the opening set, committing five double faults as Sabalenka moved into a 4-1 lead.

Osorio managed to pull one break back and reduce the deficit to 4-2, but she was unable to build any momentum. Sabalenka continued to dictate play with her powerful groundstrokes, while a perfectly placed drop shot in the seventh game left Osorio scrambling and sent her racket flying as she tried in vain to reach the ball.

The second set followed a similar pattern. After the two players exchanged early breaks, Sabalenka gradually wore down Osorio’s defence before securing the decisive break in the ninth game.

The world number one then served out the match with an unreturnable delivery, celebrating quietly as she took another step towards history.

Sabalenka is bidding to become only the third woman in the professional era to win three consecutive US Open titles, joining the exclusive company of Serena Williams and Chris Evert.

There is also more than a Grand Slam title at stake for Sabalenka in New York. She is defending her world number one ranking, with three other players in the women’s draw capable of overtaking her during the tournament.

The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam of the tennis season. The hard-court tournament takes place at Flushing Meadows in New York City, bringing together the world’s best players for two weeks of action.

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