Aryna Sabalenka secured her third Grand Slam title with a gripping win over Jessica Pegula in a high-stakes final at the US Open on Saturday. The world number two emerged victorious with a 7-5, 7-5 scoreline, adding the New York title to her consecutive Australian Open wins. Despite a valiant effort from Pegula, who fought back from 0-3 and break point down to lead 5-3 in the second set, Sabalenka managed to clinch the victory.
The 26-year-old Belarusian, who hit an impressive 40 winners, became the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to win both hardcourt majors in the same season. Sabalenka's journey to the final was not without its challenges; she lost the 2023 US Open final to Coco Gauff and initially struggled to find her rhythm, committing errors that gave Pegula an early 2-1 lead. However, Sabalenka quickly leveled the score and broke again for a 4-2 lead.
A packed crowd of 23,000, including sports icons like Olympic 100m gold medallist Noah Lyles, NBA star Steph Curry, and former Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, witnessed the match. Although most fans were rooting for Pegula, the 30-year-old found herself overwhelmed by Sabalenka's relentless hitting, which echoed through the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Pegula, who had previously defeated world number one Iga Swiatek and battled back from a set and break down against Karolina Muchova in the semifinals, showed resilience.
From 2-5 down, Pegula rallied to tie the score at 5-5, breaking Sabalenka's serve as the Australian Open champion attempted to close out the set. In a grueling 12th game, Pegula saved four set points but couldn't fend off the fifth. Sabalenka's 25 winners and 23 unforced errors contrasted sharply with Pegula's nine and 11, highlighting the differing styles in the 60-minute opener. For the second match in a row, Pegula found herself a set and break down, with a double fault allowing Sabalenka to surge ahead 3-0.
Remarkably, Pegula fought back to lead 5-3 before Sabalenka broke in the 10th game as her opponent tried to level the final. Sabalenka held her composure to secure the win when Pegula's tired drive went long.
