Top seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula in straight sets on Thursday to reach the US Open women’s singles final, keeping her bid for a three-peat alive as she prepares to face Elena Rybakina on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
The quest for history at Arthur Ashe Stadium continues as Aryna Sabalenka stormed past Jessica Pegula in a 7-5, 6-2 victory on Thursday. The win secures Sabalenka a spot in the US Open title match, keeping her firmly on track in her bid for a rare three-peat.
Sabalenka Powers Past Pegula on Arthur Ashe Stadium
Sabalenka delivered her best performance of the tournament to extinguish third-seeded Pegula’s hopes of capturing a first-ever Grand Slam title. The Belarusian player struck 29 winners, including seven aces, applying relentless pressure with her powerful groundstrokes throughout the semifinal clash. Sabalenka will surrender her world No. 1 ranking to Elena Rybakina even if she earns the title.
Sabalenka’s frustration mounted during the tight opening exchanges, marked by frustrated shrugs and a bounced racquet when she struggled to break Pegula’s serve. However, she maintained her focus as Pegula served down 6-5 and fell behind 0-40 under mounting pressure. Although the American saved one set point, Sabalenka seized control with a fierce service return on the next point, clinching the opener when Pegula hit a forehand into the net.
“I’m super happy I was able to play such tennis,” said Sabalenka, who sent down seven aces and 29 winners. “I was so desperate to win. I wanted it so badly.”
In the second set, Sabalenka kept rolling, targeting Pegula’s suspect second serve. She secured a 3-1 lead by lasering a forehand into the corner and ultimately sealed the victory with another break, unleashing a thunderous forehand on match point.
The result marks familiar Grand Slam disappointment for Pegula, who previously fell to Sabalenka in the 2024 final—her only major final appearance to date—and in the semifinals the following year. Sabalenka, 28, has had a slow summer since winning back to back titles at Indian Wells and Miami in March, opening the door to Rybakina to end her reign atop the rankings that began in October 2024.
A High-Stakes Rematch Against Elena Rybakina
Sabalenka advances to face second-seeded Elena Rybakina in Saturday’s championship match. Rybakina earned her place in the final by defeating fourth-seeded Coco Gauff in the subsequent semifinal.
This weekend’s showdown marks a direct rematch of this year’s Australian Open final. It also represents the first US Open women’s singles final between the top two seeds in 13 years, echoing the 2013 clash where Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka arrived in New York as the top two seeds.
While Sabalenka holds the top seed and arrives as the two-time defending champion, she will surrender her world No. 1 ranking to Rybakina regardless of Saturday’s outcome. Rybakina is the new world number one and won their most recent Grand Slam final encounter in Melbourne.
Chasing History and Defying the Odds
Should Sabalenka prevail on Saturday, she will join Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to win three straight US Open titles. Sabalenka is the two-time defending champion and the top seed, although many doubt her US Open title-winning credentials.
TalkingPoints users picked their US Open winner, and two-thirds backed Rybakina over Sabalenka, with the TalkingPoints vote share showing Elena Rybakina at 66.33% and Aryna Sabalenka at 33.67%.
Whether Sabalenka can prove the fans wrong and retain her title remains to be seen.
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