Sabalenka Storms Into US Open Final, Overwhelming Pegula With Stunning Power Display
Sabalenka storms past Pegula into US Open final
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka stormed into the US Open women's singles final on Thursday with a commanding straight-sets victory over American third seed Jessica Pegula, keeping alive her bid for an unprecedented third consecutive title at the tournament. Sabalenka defeated Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium to book her place in Saturday's championship match. The 28-year-old Belarusian produced a powerful display throughout the semi-final, combining an authoritative serve with heavy groundstrokes that repeatedly put Pegula under pressure. Sabalenka maintained control during the crucial stages of the opening set before pulling away decisively in the second.
The victory continued her remarkable run at Flushing Meadows and once again ended Pegula's campaign at the hands of the world number one. Sabalenka had also defeated Pegula during her title-winning campaigns at the US Open in 2024 and 2025. Her latest victory means she has now beaten the American on the way to the final in three consecutive editions of the tournament. Sabalenka entered this year's competition seeking to become only the third woman in the Open Era to win three successive US Open singles titles, following the achievements of Chris Evert and Serena Williams.
The Belarusian's route to the final has come after a period of mixed results, making her dominant performance against Pegula particularly significant. Pegula had previously beaten Sabalenka on grass in Berlin earlier this year, at a time when the Belarusian was struggling for consistency during the summer. However, Sabalenka looked a different player on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court, producing what appeared to be her most convincing performance of the tournament so far. Pegula, who was attempting to reach the biggest singles final of her career and chase a maiden Grand Slam title, was unable to match Sabalenka's intensity after a competitive opening set.
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The American stayed with her opponent through the early stages, but Sabalenka's power eventually proved decisive. Once the top seed gained momentum, she moved through the second set with considerably greater authority, closing out the match 6-2. The result sets up another major test for Sabalenka in Saturday's final. She will face either second seed Elena Rybakina or fourth seed Coco Gauff, who were scheduled to meet in the other women's semi-final on Thursday. Both potential opponents have previously defeated Sabalenka at major tournaments. Gauff beat her in the 2023 US Open final, while Rybakina defeated her in the Australian Open final in January and has also moved back above her to the world number one ranking simply by reaching the US Open semi-finals.
Sabalenka will therefore enter the final with both history and another Grand Slam challenge within reach. A victory would see her join Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to win three consecutive US Open titles in the Open Era. Her performance against Pegula has also strengthened her credentials after she produced a display built around power, serving and aggressive baseline tennis. Pegula herself acknowledged the quality of Sabalenka's performance, describing it as the best match she believed the Belarusian had played all year.
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