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Aryna Sabalenka has moved one step closer to history after defeating Jessica Pegula in straight sets to reach the US Open final, keeping alive her bid for a rare third consecutive title at Flushing Meadows.
The Belarusian produced one of her strongest performances of the tournament on Thursday, beating third seed Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The victory marked another win over the American on the same court where Sabalenka secured her US Open titles in 2024 and 2025.
Sabalenka will now face Elena Rybakina in Saturday’s final as she attempts to join tennis legends Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to win three successive US Open championships.
The Belarusian delivered a powerful display, using her aggressive groundstrokes to overwhelm Pegula and end the American’s hopes of claiming a first Grand Slam title.
Sabalenka admitted she was determined to reach the final after a difficult summer following her back-to-back victories at Indian Wells and Miami in March.
“I was super desperate,” Sabalenka said. “I wanted it badly to go to the finals, and of course, I want to go all the way.”
She added: “The mentality was just I’m ready. I’m ready for whatever it’s going to take to get the win.”
The opening set proved competitive, with Sabalenka becoming frustrated as she struggled to break Pegula’s serve. However, she stayed composed and capitalised when Pegula served at 5-6, racing to three set points before eventually taking the opener.
Sabalenka continued her dominance in the second set, targeting Pegula’s second serve and creating opportunities with her powerful forehand. She secured a break for a 3-1 lead before sealing victory with another decisive forehand winner.
Pegula acknowledged the quality of her opponent’s performance, saying: “I thought her level was insanely high. Honestly, I don’t really know if there was much I could do today.”
Meanwhile, Rybakina booked her place in the final after fighting back to defeat 2023 champion Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The Kazakh player recovered after losing the opening set, breaking Gauff early in the second and forcing a deciding set. Although Gauff fought back to level the contest, Rybakina held her nerve in the final moments to secure victory with a composed finish at the net.
Rybakina, who defeated Sabalenka in the Australian Open final earlier this year, knows she must raise her level to challenge the defending champion again.
“I feel like I definitely need to step my game up, serve much better than today and stay aggressive,” she said.
The men’s semi-finals will follow on Friday, with American players Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe battling for a place in the final. Shelton reached the last four after defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic quarter-final that ended at 3:34 am, the latest finish in US Open history.
The winner of that match will face either top seed Alexander Zverev or Russia’s Karen Khachanov for a chance to end the 23-year wait for an American men’s Grand Slam champion.
