On the storied courts of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Aryna Sabalenka moved one step closer to a place in history, defeating Jessica Pegula to reach a US Open final that will pit the world's two best players against one another. The Belarusian seeks to join Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to claim three consecutive US Open titles — a lineage that speaks to the rarest kind of sustained excellence. Her opponent, Elena Rybakina, arrives not merely as a challenger but as a disruptor, having already dethroned Sabalenka as World No. 1 by reaching this final. What unfolds on Saturday is not
Sabalenka dominates Pegula to face Rybakina in US Open final showdown
I was super desperate. I wanted it badly to go all the way.
Mark
So Sabalenka is trying to win three US Opens in a row. How rare is that actually?
Mimi
It's extraordinarily rare. Only Chris Evert and Serena Williams have done it in the women's game. Sabalenka has already won the last two, so this final is her shot at joining them.
Luke
Right, but let's be clear—she's won the last two US Opens. The question is whether she can win this one. The narrative is set up, but the match hasn't happened yet.
Mark
And she's facing Rybakina, who beat her at the Australian Open earlier this year?
Mimi
Exactly. Rybakina won that final in January to claim her second Grand Slam. And by reaching this final, Rybakina has also knocked Sabalenka off the top of the world rankings.
Luke
So there's real history between them, and real stakes beyond just the trophy. Sabalenka is defending her dominance; Rybakina is establishing hers.
Mark
How dominant was Sabalenka's semifinal performance?
Mimi
She was overwhelming. She beat Pegula 7-5, 6-2, and Pegula—who was seeded third and chasing her first Grand Slam—basically said there wasn't much she could do. Sabalenka's groundstrokes were just too much.
Luke
Though the first set was closer than 7-5 might suggest. Pegula's serve kept her in it. It wasn't until the tiebreaker moment that Sabalenka really pulled away.
Mark
And Rybakina's path to the final?
Mimi
She beat Coco Gauff, the 2023 champion, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. It was tight—Gauff won the first set easily, then Rybakina clawed back. In the third set, Gauff even broke back when Rybakina was up 5-3, but Rybakina held on.
Luke
Gauff said it came down to a couple of service games where she didn't hold. Rybakina acknowledged she was a bit lucky on Gauff's serve. So it was competitive, not a blowout.
Mark
What's the narrative going into Saturday?
Mimi
Sabalenka is trying to make history. Rybakina is trying to prove she's the new dominant force. And Rybakina has already beaten Sabalenka once this year at a Grand Slam.
Luke
The question is whether Sabalenka's desperation—she said she was "super desperate" to reach the final—translates to Saturday, or whether Rybakina's recent success and ranking change give her the edge.
The Pulse
- Sabalenka dismantled third-seeded Pegula 7-5, 6-2, her groundstrokes growing more punishing with every game until Pegula had no answer left.
- The first set was a tightrope — Pegula's serve kept her alive until a critical break at 5-6 cracked the match open and turned a contest into a rout.
- Rybakina's semifinal win over Gauff was a three-set war of fine margins, with both players trading breaks before Rybakina held firm to clinch with a deft volley.
- By reaching the final, Rybakina has already claimed one prize — Sabalenka's World No. 1 ranking — before Saturday's match even begins.
- On the men's side, Americans Shelton and Tiafoe meet Friday in a semifinal carrying the weight of a 23-year Grand Slam drought for U.S. men's tennis.
On the storied courts of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Aryna Sabalenka moved one step closer to a place in history, defeating Jessica Pegula to reach a US Open final that will pit the world's two best players against one another. The Belarusian seeks to join Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to claim three consecutive US Open titles — a lineage that speaks to the rarest kind of sustained excellence. Her opponent, Elena Rybakina, arrives not merely as a challenger but as a disruptor, having already dethroned Sabalenka as World No. 1 by reaching this final. What unfolds on Saturday is not simply a tennis match, but a negotiation between legacy and emergence.
Aryna Sabalenka arrived at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday with history in her sights, and she left with it firmly within reach. She defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in a semifinal that was closer than the scoreline suggests — Pegula's serve kept the first set competitive until Sabalenka broke through at the decisive moment, then turned the second into a demolition. Pegula, who had been chasing her first Grand Slam title, was gracious in defeat. "I don't really know if there was much I could do today," she said. One more victory separates Sabalenka from joining Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to win three consecutive US Open titles.
Sabalenka admitted the desperation she carried into the match. After a quieter summer following her spring dominance at Indian Wells and Miami, she said she wanted the final badly — and played like it. "The mentality was just I'm ready," she said. "Ready for whatever it's going to take."
Waiting for her is Elena Rybakina, who outlasted Coco Gauff in a tense three-set semifinal. Gauff took the first set 6-3, but Rybakina clawed back to win the second 6-4 and closed out the third 6-4 after Gauff's smash sailed long on match point. The margins were razor-thin throughout — Gauff broke back twice to keep herself alive — but Rybakina held firm when it mattered. "It was a real battle," Rybakina said. By reaching the final, she has also displaced Sabalenka as World No. 1, adding a charged undercurrent to Saturday's championship match between the sport's two best players.
Rybakina, who beat Sabalenka in January's Australian Open final, is not without confidence. But she knows the task ahead. "I definitely need to step my game up," she said. The men's draw, meanwhile, will produce its finalist on Friday when Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe meet in a semifinal shadowed by their country's 23-year absence from Grand Slam glory.
Aryna Sabalenka moved through the US Open semifinals with the kind of tennis that leaves opponents searching for answers. On Thursday, she dismantled Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the same court where she won the title in 2024 and 2025. The Belarusian's groundstrokes were relentless—each forehand seemed to land deeper in the corner than the last—and Pegula, seeded third, had no remedy. Sabalenka is now one victory away from joining Chris Evert and Serena Williams in a club of three: the only women to win three consecutive US Open titles, a feat that has eluded the sport for decades.
The first set was tighter than the scoreline suggests. Pegula's serve kept her in the match longer than Sabalenka would have liked, and the Belarusian's frustration showed as she struggled to break through. But when it mattered most—with Pegula serving at 5-6 and the set on the line—Sabalenka seized her chance. Pegula saved one set point but could not hold the next. Once Sabalenka broke through, the second set became a rout. She attacked Pegula's weaker second serve, built a 3-1 lead with a laser forehand into the corner, and closed it out with another thunderous stroke. Pegula, who was chasing her first Grand Slam title, offered no excuses. "I thought her level was insanely high," she said. "Honestly, I don't really know if there was much I could do today."
Sabalenka's path to the final comes after a summer that felt incomplete. She won back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Miami in March, but the months between then and now had been quiet by her standards. The desperation to reach this stage was evident in her play. "I was super desperate," she said. "I wanted it badly to go to the finals, and of course, I want to go all the way. The mentality was just I'm ready. I'm ready for whatever it's going to take to get the win."
Waiting for her on Saturday is Elena Rybakina, the Kazakh who has already beaten Sabalenka once this year. In January, Rybakina won the Australian Open final to claim her second Grand Slam title. Now, by reaching the US Open final, Rybakina has also ended Sabalenka's reign as World No. 1—a shift in power that adds another layer to their championship meeting. Rybakina reached the final by outlasting Coco Gauff, the 2023 champion, in a three-set battle that hinged on service breaks and fine margins. Gauff won the first set 6-3, but Rybakina fought back to take the second 6-4, then closed out the third 6-4 after Gauff's smash went long on match point.
Rybakina's path was harder than the scoreline suggests. Gauff broke back in the second set to square it at 4-4, and in the third, after Rybakina had built a 5-3 lead, Gauff broke back again to keep hope alive. But Rybakina held firm, clinching with a deft volley that set up two match points. Gauff reflected on the tightness of the contest. "It honestly came down to a couple of service games of mine in both sets and I didn't quite hold," she said. "I think she was able to hold the line a bit better than I could tonight." Rybakina, meanwhile, acknowledged the role of fortune. "I feel like I was a little bit lucky on her serve," she said. "A couple of deep returns, one mistake from her, it went quickly my way. It was a real battle."
Rybakina knows what awaits her. Having already beaten Sabalenka at a Grand Slam this year, she is not intimidated by Saturday's final. But she also recognizes the challenge. "I feel like I definitely need to step my game up, serve much better than today and stay aggressive," she said. The final will pit the world's top two players against each other, with Sabalenka chasing history and Rybakina seeking to prove that her Australian Open victory was no fluke.
The men's side of the draw will determine its finalist on Friday, when eighth-seeded Ben Shelton faces 11th seed Frances Tiafoe in an all-American semifinal. Shelton earned his spot by defeating defending champion and seven-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz in a quarterfinal that stretched into the early morning hours—the match ended at 3:34 a.m. on Wednesday, the latest finish in tournament history. The winner will advance to face either top-seeded French Open champion Alexander Zverev or unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov, with the ultimate prize being a chance to end the American men's 23-year drought without a Grand Slam title.
Notable Quotes
I thought her level was insanely high. Honestly, I don't really know if there was much I could do today.— Jessica Pegula, after her semifinal loss
I feel like I definitely need to step my game up, serve much better than today and stay aggressive.— Elena Rybakina, on preparing for the final
Want the full story?
Read the original at Al Jazeera ↗
Sports