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Aryna Sabalenka maintained her commanding form at Flushing Meadows on Thursday, defeating third seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets to move within one victory of a historic third consecutive US Open championship. The Belarusian powerhouse will square off in Saturday’s final against Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, who staged a thrilling three-set comeback to eliminate former champion Coco Gauff and concurrently secure the top spot in the world rankings.
Sabalenka delivered a ruthless display inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, overcoming Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in an emphatic semifinal showing. The victory keeps her quest alive to become just the third woman in the Open Era—alongside American tennis legends Chris Evert and Serena Williams—to capture three successive US Open singles crowns.
The triumph was especially significant for Sabalenka, who had endured a relatively quiet summer swing following her dual hard-court titles at Indian Wells and Miami in March. Addressing her mindset on court, Sabalenka admitted that an intense hunger drove her performance, stating that she felt super desperate and wanted desperately to reach the final and compete for the trophy. She emphasized that her mentality was entirely focused on being prepared to do whatever it took to secure the win.
The opening set developed into a gritty baseline duel as Sabalenka initially struggled to break through Pegula’s resilient serving. Despite moments of visible frustration, the defending champion maintained her composure until the critical moment arrived in the twelfth game. Serving to force a tiebreak at 5-6, Pegula suddenly faltered under pressure, slipping to 0-40 before Sabalenka converted on her second set point to seize the advantage.
Carrying her momentum into the second set, Sabalenka relentlessly targeted the American’s vulnerable second serve. She secured a crucial service break to surge ahead 3-1 after firing a pinpoint forehand into the corner, and she ultimately closed out the contest with another blistering forehand winner to break Pegula’s serve once more.
Pegula, whose pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam singles title was once again thwarted by Sabalenka, offered high praise for her opponent’s dominant display. Reflecting on the defeat, the American acknowledged that Sabalenka operated at an exceptionally high level, conceding that there was very little she could have done differently to alter the outcome of the match.
The defeat marked a familiar scenario for Pegula, who had also fallen to Sabalenka during the Belarusian’s title-winning campaigns in New York in both 2024 and 2025. Sabalenka’s relentless baseline hitting proved too formidable on Arthur Ashe Stadium, establishing a high benchmark for the upcoming championship showdown.
Standing between Sabalenka and tennis history is Rybakina, who battled back from a set down on Thursday to defeat 2023 champion Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Rybakina’s deep run in the tournament carries an added layer of prestige, as advancing to the final officially guarantees that she will overtake Sabalenka to claim the World No. 1 ranking.
Gauff had initially taken control of the semifinal, capturing the lone service break of the opening set to build a 4-2 advantage before closing it out with a commanding love hold. The young American appeared well on course in her bid to reach the New York final for the first time since she overcame Sabalenka for the 2023 championship.
However, Rybakina quickly mounted a counterattack in the second set, claiming an early break to establish a 4-1 cushion. While Gauff energized the home crowd by battling back to level the score at 4-4, her momentum was abruptly halted in the tenth game when an untimely double fault gifted Rybakina two set points, allowing the Kazakh to level the match.
The deciding set remained intensely contested, with Rybakina breaking to lead 5-3 before Gauff immediately broke back to stay alive. In the following game, Rybakina engineered two match points with an exquisite touch volley, and she sealed the victory when Gauff misfired an overhead smash beyond the baseline.
Following her hard-fought victory, Rybakina conceded that fortune played a role during critical moments on Gauff’s serve, but she recognized that she must elevate her performance against Sabalenka. Looking ahead to Saturday, Rybakina noted that she will need to raise her game, serve considerably better, and maintain an aggressive posture throughout the final.
Gauff was left to rue narrow margins after the defeat, noting that the outcome ultimately hinged on a handful of service games across the final two sets where she failed to hold. She credited Rybakina for executing more consistently under pressure during the decisive stages of the evening clash.
Saturday's women’s final will mark a high-stakes rematch of January’s Australian Open title match, where Rybakina defeated Sabalenka to secure her second career Grand Slam crown. With Sabalenka aiming to defend her Flushing Meadows dynasty and Rybakina celebrating her newly acquired World No. 1 status, the championship encounter promises to be a titanic clash.
Attention at the U.S. National Tennis Center turns to the men’s draw on Friday, highlighted by an all-American semifinal between eighth seed Ben Shelton and eleventh seed Frances Tiafoe. The marquee matchup guarantees an American man in the final as the host nation seeks to end a 23-year Grand Slam singles drought.
Shelton enters the semifinal following a historic quarterfinal triumph over defending champion and seven-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz, which concluded at 3:34 a.m. on Wednesday to become the latest finish in tournament history. The victor of the battle between "Big Ben" and "Big Foe" will advance to face either top-seeded French Open champion Alexander Zverev or unseeded Russian contender Karen Khachanov in the men's title match.
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