Aryna Sabalenka clinched her third Grand Slam title with a thrilling victory over Jessica Pegula in the US Open final on Saturday. The world number two triumphed 7-5, 7-5, adding the New York title to her back-to-back Australian Open victories earlier this year.
The 26-year-old Belarusian displayed her power, hitting 40 winners to become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to win both hardcourt majors in the same season.
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Pegula, the American fan favorite, put up a valiant fight, recovering from 0-3 down in the second set to lead 5-3. However, Sabalenka’s relentless play allowed her to regain control and secure the win. A dramatic 12th game in the first set saw Pegula save four set points but eventually succumb on the fifth.
The final was played in front of a capacity crowd of 23,000 at Arthur Ashe Stadium, including sporting stars like Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles, NBA legend Steph Curry, and former Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton.
While Pegula had fought back from the brink in previous rounds—knocking out world number one Iga Swiatek and overcoming Karolina Muchova—she could not hold off Sabalenka’s fierce groundstrokes. Pegula rallied from 2-5 down in the first set and again in the second, but Sabalenka’s consistency and power eventually overwhelmed the American.
The victory marks Sabalenka’s continued rise in women’s tennis, following her runner-up finish at last year’s US Open and solidifying her as a major force in the sport.
