US Open | ‘I was super desperate’: Aryna Sabalenka on win over Jessica Pegula

Aryna Sabalenka returns to Jessica Pegula during their US Open semi-final in New York on Thursday. PIC/AP; PTI

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka stayed on course for a third consecutive US Open crown on Thursday, storming into the final with a straight sets demolition of American third seed Jessica Pegula. Sabalenka - who beat Pegula en route to US Open wins in 2024 and 2025 - punched her ticket to Saturday's final with a 7-5, 6-2 win on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

Dominant display

The 28-year-old Belarusian, bidding to join Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to win three straight US Open titles, swatted aside Pegula with a dominant service game and a fearsome array of powerful groundstrokes. Sabalenka will face second seed Elena Rybakina in the final.

Jessica Pegula

On the evidence of her semi-final win, Sabalenka will head into the final bristling with confidence after producing her best performance of the tournament to snuff out Pegula's dream of a first ever Grand Slam title. Sabalenka, who sent down seven aces and 29 winners, said she was "desperate" for the win. "I was super desperate," she said.

"I lost a tough match on grass against Jess, and I wasn't really performing well in the middle part of the season. So it kind of feels for me, talking about Grand Slams, like a last push of the season. 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," Sabalenka added.

Both players gave away little in the first set, serving superbly to keep the match on serve until the 12th game, with Sabalenka leading 6-5. It was Pegula who would blink first, finding herself down 0-40 after a barrage of hefty groundstrokes from Sabalenka, who clinched the set when Pegula duffed a return into the net.

Sabalenka kept the momentum rolling in the second set, attacking Pegula's suspect second serve and grabbing the crucial break for a 3-1 lead when she lasered a forehand into the corner.

The rest of the set went with serve until the eighth game, when Pegula fired long to give up a match point and Sabalenka sealed victory with another ferocious forehand.

‘Her level was insanely high'

Pegula, who posted a dominant victory over Sabalenka on grass in Berlin this year as the Belarusian struggled through the summer, thought it was the best match Sabalenka had played all year. "I thought her level was insanely high," Pegula said.

"Maybe she felt a little bit off at the beginning, but I feel like we were both playing well, serving well... she played insane. She played a super high level," she added.

Four
Consecutive number of US Open finals reached by Aryna Sabalenka (2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026)

51-3
Sabalenka's win-loss record on hard courts at Grand Slams since 2023

80 min
Time taken by Aryna Sabalenka to beat Jessica Pegula on Thursday

8
Consecutive number of hard court Grand Slam finals for Sabalenka since 2023

19
Consecutive number of US Open matches won by Sabalenka

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