Rizky Amelia
Aryna Sabalenka maintained her formidable dominance at Flushing Meadows on Thursday, overpowering American third seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets to keep her historic championship aspirations alive. The reigning two-time titleholder secured a 7-5, 6-2 victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium, earning a spot in the US Open final where she will face newly crowned world number one Elena Rybakina.
Sabalenka’s commanding performance places her on the threshold of tennis history. The Belarusian is seeking to become only the third woman in the Open Era, alongside legends Chris Evert and Serena Williams, to capture three consecutive US Open women's singles titles. Her triumph over Pegula marked another chapter in their New York rivalry, having previously eliminated the American on her way to lifting the trophy in both 2024 and 2025.
Throughout the semifinal, Sabalenka relied on her trademark aggression and punishing groundstrokes to wear down Pegula, effectively ending the home favorite’s pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam crown. After experiencing early frustrations in navigating Pegula’s solid service games during an intensely competitive opening set, Sabalenka capitalized on her opportunities at the decisive moment.
Serving to stay in the opening frame at 6-5, Pegula buckled under relentless baseline pressure and fell behind 0-40. Although the American managed to save one set point, Sabalenka quickly seized the next to claim the opener. The momentum carried directly into the second set, where Sabalenka immediately began targeting Pegula's second serve.
A scorching forehand winner into the corner secured a service break and a 3-1 advantage for Sabalenka. Refusing to allow Pegula any path back into the contest, the two-time champion maintained a blistering pace from the back of the court and concluded the match with an additional service break, punctuated by another thunderous forehand winner.
Following the victory, Sabalenka revealed that her aggressive approach was driven by a fierce desire to recapture top form after a quiet summer stretch. Following back-to-back tournament victories at Indian Wells and Miami in March, she entered New York determined to peak at the right time, emphasizing that her mindset was fully committed to doing whatever was necessary to secure the win.
Pegula conceded that Sabalenka’s level was simply overwhelming on the day. Reflecting on the defeat, the American noted that the pace and accuracy coming from across the net left her with very few tactical answers throughout the straight-sets contest.
Awaiting Sabalenka on Saturday is Rybakina, who battled through a dramatic three-set encounter to overcome 2023 champion Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Beyond securing a place in the championship match, Rybakina’s semifinal run carries significant ramifications for the WTA rankings, as the Kazakh star has officially ended Sabalenka’s reign at the summit of world tennis.
The matchup between Gauff and Rybakina was a showcase of shifting momentum. Gauff began the contest in complete control, securing a pivotal service break to lead 4-2 before comfortably serving out the opening set at love. However, Rybakina quickly mounted a counterattack in the second set, surging to a 4-1 lead courtesy of an early break.
Gauff demonstrated trademark resilience by clawing back to level the second set at 4-4 with enthusiastic backing from the home crowd. The comeback was cut short in the tenth game, where a double fault from Gauff handed Rybakina two set points, allowing the Kazakh to level the match and force a deciding set.
In the final set, Rybakina broke for a 5-3 lead before Gauff momentarily kept her hopes alive with an immediate break of serve. Yet, Rybakina responded decisively in the next game, executing a delicate volley to earn two match points before Gauff missed an overhead smash long to conclude the contest.
Reflecting on the tense finish, Rybakina acknowledged that a few favorable bounces, deep returns, and crucial unforced errors worked in her favor during key moments. Gauff, meanwhile, pointed to a handful of missteps during her own service games as the deciding factor in the narrow defeat.
Saturday’s championship will serve as a high-stakes rematch of January’s Australian Open final, where Rybakina defeated Sabalenka to capture her second Grand Slam crown. To replicate that outcome in New York, Rybakina acknowledged she will need to elevate her serving and maintain continuous aggression against the power-hitting Belarusian.
Attention at Flushing Meadows turns next to the men’s draw on Friday, featuring a blockbuster all-American semifinal between eighth seed Ben Shelton and eleventh seed Frances Tiafoe. The clash promises immense local interest as both players look to end a 23-year Grand Slam title drought for American men.
Shelton advanced to the final four following an extraordinary quarterfinal triumph over defending champion and seven-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz, a match that concluded at 3:34 a.m. to set the record for the latest finish in US Open history. The winner between Shelton and Tiafoe will face either top-seeded French Open champion Alexander Zverev or unseeded Karen Khachanov in Sunday's championship match.
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