Aryna Sabalenka maintained her stronghold on the US Open on Thursday evening, as the two-time reigning champion decisively defeated Jessica Pegula with a score of 7-5, 6-2, putting her one match away from securing a third consecutive title.
The top-seeded Belarusian displayed her prowess by delivering 29 winners compared to Pegula’s 12. Her aggressive play transformed what began as a closely contested battle into a lopsided contest, marking her 19th consecutive victory at Flushing Meadows.
“I’m not sure what got into her today,” remarked the third-seeded Pegula. “I hope it wasn’t me, but it could have been. She played phenomenally and seemed to be at an exceptionally high level. Honestly, I don’t think there was much I could have done today.”
Sabalenka echoed that sentiment, stating, “I felt as though every decision I made was the right one. I would say that today, against Jess, my performance was definitely an improvement compared to our previous encounters.”
The atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium was electric, with only a few empty seats for the opening match of a women’s semifinal doubleheader. This event marked a historic moment, as it was the first time since 1975 that the top four women’s seeds had reached the semifinals at the US Open, and the first occurrence at any Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2009.
Clad in all black, a nod to her formidable presence in New York, Sabalenka wasted no time in engaging in fierce rallies with her American opponent. The score was tied through the first eight games after just 25 minutes, with the average rally lasting only two and a half shots. Pegula matched Sabalenka’s intensity, but the champion’s powerful shots were countered by a few errors that kept the opening set competitive.
At 4-all, Pegula seized her first opportunity when Sabalenka committed a double fault, creating her first break point of the evening and energizing the crowd of over 20,000. However, Sabalenka responded with a stunning forehand winner, followed by another successful volley, ultimately holding serve.
“Even when I had the break point, I made a good return, but she just blasted a forehand cross,” said Pegula. “It was a tough match. I did my best and felt I played decently.”
In a swift turn of events, the first set concluded. While Pegula was serving at 5-6, Sabalenka entered a new gear, unleashing a backhand winner after a lengthy rally, forcing an error from Pegula after another extended exchange, and crushing a forehand winner off a second serve to reach 0-40. Pegula saved the first set point but could not stave off the second, handing the set to Sabalenka in 43 minutes.
Carrying her momentum into the second set, Sabalenka maintained a rapid pace. After Pegula held serve for 1-all, Sabalenka began to aggressively target her opponent’s second serve, eventually breaking through on her fourth chance with another forehand winner. She solidified her lead at 4-1 and continued to dominate, ultimately breaking Pegula once more in the final game for a commanding victory. Throughout the match, Sabalenka did not face any significant challenges on her serve, encountering only one break point.
“I tried to hold on to see if her level would drop,” reflected Pegula, who won just five of 19 points on her second serve, a statistic that proved crucial. “But it seemed like she only got better as the match progressed.”
This marks the third consecutive year that Pegula has advanced to the latter stages of the tournament, only to be thwarted by the same formidable opponent. Their budding rivalry began last year when Sabalenka triumphed 7-5, 7-5 in the final. In their rematch the following year, Pegula performed admirably but fell short, with Sabalenka rallying for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win in the semifinals on her way to defending her title.
Thursday’s match was notably more straightforward, further highlighting Sabalenka’s dominance on the hard courts in New York.
Sabalenka noted that her earlier defeat to Pegula on grass in Berlin this summer sharpened her focus. “That loss made me realize I had to be fully concentrated from start to finish today,” she commented. “I believe that focus was key to my performance at this level.”
The 28-year-old now stands just one victory away from becoming the third woman in history, alongside Chris Evert and Serena Williams, to win three consecutive US Open titles. She has reached the finals in each of her last four appearances at the tournament, a streak that began with her loss to Coco Gauff in the 2023 final.
Throughout the tournament, Sabalenka has shown little sign of weakness, having dispatched Camila Osorio, Polina Iatcenko, Kamilla Rakhimova, and Taylor Townsend without dropping a set. She faced her first significant challenge in the quarter-finals against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, winning a hard-fought match 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 after two hours and 22 minutes.
Sabalenka’s next challenge will be against either Elena Rybakina or Coco Gauff in Saturday’s final, with more than just another trophy on the line. Rybakina’s semi-final journey ensures that Sabalenka’s 99-week tenure at world No. 1 will conclude with the upcoming rankings update on Monday.
When asked about the prospect of winning the tournament while potentially losing the top ranking, Sabalenka’s immediate reply was straightforward: “I don’t care.” She elaborated, “There’s not much I can do about that. I can only focus on myself and stay present, doing my best right now.”
While the number one ranking may slip away, the defense of her US Open title remains firmly in her grasp for at least one more match.
