Aryna Sabalenka crushes Pegula to reach fourth straight US Open final

Aryna Sabalenka continued her remarkable dominance at the US Open by defeating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 to reach the final for a fourth consecutive year.

The top seed produced another statement performance on Arthur Ashe Stadium, overpowering the American with 29 winners and seven aces in an 80-minute semifinal.

Sabalenka will now face Elena Rybakina in Saturday's final, with a third consecutive US Open title within reach. A victory would make her the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to complete a three-peat at Flushing Meadows.

“I was so desperate for the win. I wanted it badly,” Sabalenka said after the match.

The Belarusian also extended her winning streak at the US Open to 19 matches and improved to 36-3 at the tournament over the past five years.

Sabalenka edges tight opening set

Pegula entered the semifinal with confidence and initially matched Sabalenka's power and intensity. The third seed saved an early break point with a clean forehand winner, while Sabalenka had to withstand pressure of her own as the opening set remained finely balanced.

Sabalenka's frustration briefly boiled over when she smashed her racket after a double fault, but she quickly regained her composure.

With the set tied at 5-5, Sabalenka raised the pressure. She created three break points while Pegula served at 5-6 and converted the second set point to take the opener 7-5 after 43 minutes.

That proved to be the turning point.

Pegula unable to withstand Sabalenka's power

Sabalenka immediately increased the intensity in the second set, breaking Pegula for a 3-1 advantage after finding a forehand winner from deep behind the baseline. Pegula, who has become one of the WTA Tour's most consistent performers, struggled to reproduce the level she showed early in the match.

Sabalenka's combination of pace, accuracy and relentless baseline pressure repeatedly forced Pegula into difficult positions. The American managed to hold for 2-4 to briefly keep the match alive, but Sabalenka refused to let the momentum shift.

Another break put the defending champion within touching distance of the final, and she closed out the match 6-2 with another dominant stretch of tennis.

“She played insane. She played a super-high level,” Pegula admitted afterwards. “Honestly, I don't really know if there was much I could do today.”

Sabalenka chasing US Open history

The victory sends Sabalenka into her ninth Grand Slam final and her fourth consecutive US Open final.

She is also the fifth player since 1988 to reach at least five Grand Slam finals as the world No. 1, joining Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis.

Sabalenka has now reached the final in each of her last eight hard-court Grand Slam appearances and owns a 51-3 record at hard-court majors since the start of 2023.

Her run has been particularly impressive in New York, where she has won 19 consecutive matches. Despite a season that has fallen short of Sabalenka's own exceptionally high standards, another US Open triumph would provide a spectacular finish.

She is also set to surrender the world No. 1 ranking after the tournament, but victory on Saturday would give her a fifth Grand Slam title and place her alongside the most dominant hard-court champions of her generation.

Standing between Sabalenka and history is Rybakina, who defeated Coco Gauff in the other semifinal to reach her first US Open final. For Sabalenka, the opportunity is clear: one more victory would make her the first woman in more than a decade to win three straight US Open singles titles.

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