A Cockapoo in a mesh dress. Someone in a full fur coat in the August heat. Both are battling to see who does the best Aryna Sabalenka impression in New York.It’s the Friday before the U.S. Open. Sabalenka is the world’s No. 1 and going for a third straight title. So obviously, there’s a lookalike contest held at a Brooklyn pizza joint.Electrolit’s Battle of the Sabys crowned Sabalenka winners in three categories: serve, sound, and style.I’m a Sabalenka fan, so I was in regardless. But I’d also heard she might show up to help pick the winners.Here’s how the night went, including Sabalenka getting behind the counter and making a pizza for the room.Marilyn La JeunesseMarilyn La Jeunesse6 p.m.: I arrive at Fini Pizza in Brooklyn Heights, and the entire block is a massive party. People pass out free Electrolit from bright blue branded trucks, and a crowd dances on Fini’s terrace to DJ Bellatrix’s live set. Employees are handing out free slices of the “Saby’s Slice,” the pie Sabalenka helped create for the takeover: pepperoni, Fini’s Calabrian chili honey, and oregano.I grab an Electrolit mocktail and scope out the Style category, which is already stacked. There’s a dog named Luna donning a costume inspired by Sabalenka’s now-viral mesh dress, the sheer black Nike one she wore over neon orange during Fan Week that the internet lost it over, a few people dressed in drag (one of whom is in a full fur coat in August, which is commitment), and folks rocking full tennis outfits, complete with their own rackets and jewelry stacks. My money is immediately on Sabaluna the Cockapoo.Her owner, Sheida Karami, 32, likes their odds. “New York is a dog town; we love dogs in outfits, so I think we have [the win] in the bag,” she says.Marilyn La JeunesseMarilyn La Jeunesse6:40 p.m.: DJ Stretch spins, and SNL’s Jeremy Culhane takes the stage to start the Battle of the Sabys. I’m seated in the front row as the Saby Serve competitors go up to deliver their best impression. It’s close, but ultimately a young girl named Victoria, dressed in the viral mesh dress, takes home the glory (AKA two U.S. Open tickets and a signed Sabalenka bobblehead).Next is Saby Sound, which is exactly what it sounds like: grunts and tiger roars into a microphone. Midway through, Sabalenka walks in. “I’m sorry if I do sound like that,” she says. She stays to help pick that winner before the Style group is called up.It’s fierce, but ultimately a young woman named Zoey takes home the gold, dressed in an all-white tennis uniform with the jewelry stacks and a Fruit Punch Electrolit in hand. Marilyn La Jeunesse7:20 p.m.: Sabalenka takes a group photo with the winners and hands out the signed bobbleheads before heading back inside Fini Pizza for interviews. The place is packed, and fans are outside, peeking through the windows for a glimpse.My interview is first, which means fumbling with my tripod in front of every single one of them. Eventually I get everything set up, hand Sabalenka a microphone, and spend three minutes on how she actually recovers in the middle of a tournament.She’s days out from going for a third straight Open title. “My mindset is that I’m ready to fight. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to do well at the U.S. Open,” she tells Elite Daily.Marilyn La JeunesseMarilyn La Jeunesse7:40 p.m.: With interviews done and a bit filmed with Culhane, Sabalenka gets behind the counter to make her own Saby’s Slice. “It’s pizza time, guys!” she says before spreading a thin layer of cheese on the dough. Next up is the pepperoni, and a lot of it, because she says she likes her slices piled high. Then the sauce, which goes on top. She finishes with a drizzle of chili honey and a sprinkle of oregano, then slides it into the oven.A few minutes later, the whole room smells like pepperoni. The pie comes out, gets cut up, and is passed around to the press. (I’m vegetarian, so I sat that one out.)Three days later, Sabalenka’s at Flushing Meadows in a different mesh dress, beating Camila Osorio in straight sets. The three-peat is on.
Aryna Sabalenka Judged Her Lookalike Contest at a Brooklyn Pizza Shop
