Joe
For the second consecutive year, Aryna Sabalenka reached the US Open women’s final, but this time, she clinched her first championship title, defeating Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5, on Saturday.
The No. 2 seed Sabalenka showcased a blend of power and precision in her win over No. 6 seed Pegula, using her shotmaking skills rather than relying solely on her serve and groundstrokes, as she had in her semifinal victory over Emma Navarro.
Pegula mounted a strong defensive effort, frustrating Sabalenka at times with her resilient returns, but ultimately, Sabalenka’s power proved too much to handle.
The first set was tightly contested, with Sabalenka showing visible frustration as she struggled to break through Pegula’s defense. However, she eventually closed out the set, setting the tone for the second. Sabalenka surged to a 3-0 lead, appearing poised to dominate the remainder of the match.
Despite being on the back foot, Pegula rallied. She held serve to make it 3-1 and broke Sabalenka’s serve to pull within 3-2. As the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd grew louder, energized by the closed roof, Pegula’s defense kept her in the match, even as Sabalenka continued to overpower her with heavy serves and forehands.
Pegula’s comeback saw her win five consecutive games, putting her ahead 4-3 in the second set. However, Sabalenka responded with a spectacular no-look, cross-court backhand to win a crucial point, swinging the momentum back in her favor.
Sabalenka broke Pegula’s serve to level the set at 5-5, regaining her confidence and dictating play with powerful forehands and serves. She held for 6-5 and sealed the match with two blistering forehands that Pegula couldn’t handle, finishing the final game with a return that went long to secure her first US Open title.
“I wish she would have at least let me get one set,” Pegula joked after the match. “We had a tough match in Cincinnati a few weeks ago, and she’s one of the best in the world. She’s super powerful and isn’t going to give you anything.”
With the victory, Sabalenka adds a third Grand Slam title to her collection, alongside her two Australian Open championships.
She is also the first woman to win both the Australian Open and US Open in the same year since Angelique Kerber in 2016, and only the fifth player to win two Grand Slam titles on hard courts in a single season, joining the ranks of Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, and Kerber.
As Sabalenka continues to thrive on hard courts, her future in the sport looks even brighter, with more trophies likely to follow.
