NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka is one win from a third straight U.S. Open title. Thursday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed, beat No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 to reach her fourth consecutive final in Flushing Meadows.
No woman had reached four straight U.S. Open finals since Serena Williams did it from 2011 to 2014. Sabalenka lost the first of those four, the 2023 final, to Coco Gauff.
Neither player broke serve through the first 11 games. Sabalenka saved the only break point she faced all night while serving at 5-5, then broke Pegula in the next game. Serving to stay in the set at 5-6, Pegula fell behind 0-40, saved one set point, and netted a forehand on the second.
Early in the second set, Sabalenka broke for a 3-1 lead with a 91 mph forehand return winner. She held for 4-1. With Pegula serving at 2-5, a backhand long gave Sabalenka match point at 30-40. She ended it with a forehand winner.
Sabalenka finished with 29 winners to Pegula’s 12. She won more than 70% of her service points.
Aryna Sabalenka Now 10-4 Against Jessica Pegula
The win improved Sabalenka to 10-4 against Pegula. Thursday was the third straight year the two met in New York. Sabalenka beat Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in the 2024 final. Their 2025 semifinal went three sets, with Pegula winning the first 6-4 before Sabalenka took the next two 6-3, 6-4. Sabalenka said in her on-court interview Thursday that she had found last year’s match almost impossible to win.
“No complaints,” Sabalenka said. “I’m super happy I was able to pull out such tennis. The last match I played against Jessica it was almost impossible for me to get the win.”
“I’m super happy I was able to play such tennis in front of you all,” Sabalenka continued. “Thank you for the atmosphere. You guys are the best. Your respect to me is priceless. I know you wanted her to win, it’s obvious. But thank you for being so respectful to me. Love you guys.”
Pegula entered the semifinal with 50 tour-level wins in 2026. She had won two of her previous three matches against Sabalenka. In Wuhan last season, Pegula came from behind to beat her. In the Berlin semifinals earlier this year, Pegula won in three sets and took the last one 6-0. Her plan after Tuesday’s 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 quarterfinal win over Emma Navarro was to go back to what had worked in those two matches.
“Changing the direction of the ball, not getting too predictable and making her have to move and come up with good shots on the run, I think that’s something I’ve done really well when I’ve done well against her,” Pegula said. “I think that’s going to be key for me. She’s not going to want me to do that, so it’s always a back and forth for both of us.”
Pegula, 32, is still without a major title. Thursday was her third straight U.S. Open semifinal.
Elena Rybakina Clinches No. 1 Ranking Before Saturday’s Final
Elena Rybakina will replace Sabalenka at No. 1 when the WTA releases new rankings Monday. Rybakina clinched the spot Wednesday with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 quarterfinal win over Zheng Qinwen. Sabalenka’s run at the top ends at 99 consecutive weeks. Rybakina will be the first player from Kazakhstan to hold No. 1.
In January, Rybakina beat Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the Australian Open final. Sabalenka won Indian Wells and Miami in March. At the next two majors, she lost to Diana Shnaider in the Roland Garros quarterfinals and to Naomi Osaka in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Earlier this week, Sabalenka said she would be fine giving up No. 1 if it came with another U.S. Open trophy. “I was so desperate for the win, I wanted it badly,” Sabalenka said Thursday, according to The Associated Press.
Sabalenka has won 20 straight matches at the U.S. Open since the 2023 final. A win Saturday would make her the first woman to win three straight titles in New York since Williams from 2012 to 2014. Chris Evert won four in a row from 1975 to 1978.
Two days before the semifinal, Sabalenka needed a deciding-set tiebreaker to beat Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7). She closed that match with a second-serve ace. It was her sixth straight trip to the U.S. Open semifinals.
Rybakina, the No. 2 seed, and Gauff, the No. 4 seed, played the second semifinal later Thursday. It was the first time since 1975 that the top four seeds all reached the U.S. Open women’s semifinals. The final is Saturday at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN.
