Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, returns the ball to Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women’s singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships on September 10, 2026, in New York.
| Photo Credit: AP
Aryna Sabalenka eliminated top American Jessica Pegula 7-5 6-2 βto reach the U.S. Open final on Thursday (September 10, 2026), moving βone win away from a rare third consecutive βtitle at the hardcourt major with a β comprehensive performance.
The top seed simmered with frustration early in the match before finding her best level, sending over 29 winners βand seven aces before closing it out with an unreturnable shot deep in the βAmerican’s territory.
The third seed Pegula, runner-up in 2024, βstarted β the match with a poised performance but β eventually succumbed to the Belarusian’s power, as costly mistakes in the second set undermined her best efforts.
“I was so desperate for the βwin, I wanted it βbadly,” said Sabalenka, who will feature in the title match for a fourth straight year, playing either 2023 champion Coco Gauff or the second seed βElena Rybakina
An icy-veined Pegula got off to a βnear-pristine start, saving an early break point with a fine forehand winner, as Sabalenka β struggled to rein in her frustrations, whacking her racket on the court after a double fault in the βninth game.
The defending champion threw her instrument to the ground as Pegula held her serve in the 10th, but hit her stride as she broke her opponent from the baseline on set point.
She used her best weapon to her advantage again to go βup 3-1 in the second set, firing off a forehand βwinner from the baseline on break point, as Pegula struggled to find her early polish β before Sabalenka broke her again on match point.
“No complaints,” said β Sabalenka, who earned the respect of the partisan fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium, with former βU.S. first lady Michelle Obama in the crowd. “I’m super happy to pull out that kind of βtennis.”
Published – September 11, 2026 07:15 am IST