By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, September 10, 2026
Photo credit: Jeff Dean/USTA
NEW YORK—Walking out on court wearing white head phones, Aryna Sabalenka tuned into the major muse while muffling screaming American fans.
Sabalenka spent 80 minutes muting Jessica Pegula’s crackling drives.
Reigning US Open champion Sabalenka overwhelmed Pegula 7-5, 6-2 rolling into her fourth straight US Open final.
It is Sabalenka’s 19th consecutive US Open triumph as she powered into her eighth straight Grand Slam hard-court final—longest streak in the Open Era.
This US Open has been a trip to the lost and found for Sabalenka, who has lost her 99-week reign as world No. 1 thanks to Elena Rybakina, who will officially surpass the Belarusian as the 30th woman to hold the top spot when the new WTA rankings are released on Monday. Yet, Sabalenka found her ferocity delivering her most dynamic tennis of the tournament.
Tonight, a sharp Sabalenka more than doubled Pegula’s winner total—29 to 12—raising her career US Open record to 40-6.
Commanding the center of the court, Sabalenka was calling the shots for much of the match and hit her forehand with fierce conviction.
“No complaints, I was super happy I was able to pull off such super tennis,” Sabalenka told ESPN’s Chris Eubanks afterward. “I’m super happy I was able to play such tennis in front of you all.
“Thank you for your atmosphere. Your respect for me is priceless. I know you wanted her to win, but thank you for being so good to me.”
Sabalenka scored a trifecta, defeating Pegula for the third time in a row in Flushing Meadows, to keep her three-peat hopes alive. Bidding to become the first woman since Serena Williams, 2012-2014, to capture three consecutive US Open championships, Sabalenka will face Rybakina in Saturday’s 4 p.m. final. Rybakina fended off fourth-seeded Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in tonight’s second semifinal.
The soon-to-be-former world No. 1 Sabalenka is 10-7 vs. her successor in the top spot; Rybakina leads their finals head-to-head, 4-2.
“It’s going to be really tough match. She’s a big server,” Sabalenka said of Rybakina. “She really improved over the years on the baseline game, so it’s going to be physically and mentally tough match.
“But, as I said, I’m ready for the fight. I’m ready to do everything to get the win, so I’m excited for that match.”
The level of tennis Sabalenka showed was worthy of a champion: She faced only one break point against one of the game’s premier returners and won 14 of 19 points played on Pegula’s second serve.
Driven by desperation, Sabalenka kept her cool amid first-set stress then brought the baseline heat in a statement second set.
“I was super desperate. I lost tough match on grass against Jess, and I wasn’t really performing well in the middle part of the season,” Sabalenka said. “So it kind of like feels for me, talking about Grand Slams, like a last push of the season.
“I wanted it badly to go to the finals, and of course, I want to go all the way. The mentality was just I’m ready. I’m ready for whatever it’s going to take to get the win.”
Across the net, Pegula said facing Sabalenka on this day felt like facing a firing squad. Ripping replies to everything Pegula threw at her, Sabalenka played with menacing intent.
“I think that’s definitely probably the best match she’s played this year,” Pegula said. “I mean, I thought her level was insanely high.
“Maybe she felt a little bit off at the beginning, but I feel like we were both playing well, serving well. Then, yeah, I don’t know who pissed her off today, but she — hopefully it wasn’t me totally, but might have been. I don’t know.
“She played insane. She played a super-high level. Honestly, I don’t really know if there was much I could do today.”
Sabalenka joked when triggered she’ll go full terminator.
“But, Jess, come on, cannot say that (laughing). Yeah, better not to make me mad,” Sabalenka said when informed of Pegula’s remark.
In this rematch of the 2024 Flushing Meadows final and 2025 semifinalsl, there was no feeling out process. Both women came out cracking deep drives.
The third-seeded Pegula painted the sideline with a crisp crosscourt forehand saving a break point and eventually holding to even after four games.
Sabalenka smacked an ace wide and slid a serve winner down the T holding for 4-3.
The combustible Sabalanka committed a couple of forehand errors and bounce her Wilson racquet in frustration facing break point in the ninth game. Sabalenka stood tall, saved break point and held for 5-4.
Sitting on the wide serve, Sabalenka scorched a forehand return winner crosscourt for triple set point in the 12th game. On her second set point, Sabalenka blistered a backhand off the baseline that handcuffed Pegula into netted reply. Sabalenka won eight of the last nine points to snatch the 43-minute opening set.
Though both women are exceptionally clean ball strikers, Sabalenka is more explosive on every shot.
The top-seed showed her damaging point-ending power in the fourth game.
Opening the court with a short-angled forehand, Sabalenka hammered a forehand down the line for a third break point. The Belarusian blew a routine forehand volley but came right back to earn a fourth break point.
Turning her hips and shoulders into a forehand, Sabalenka tomahawked a 91 mph forehand strike to break for a 3-1 second-set lead.
Sabalenka slashed two aces earning game point. Sprinting right, Sabalenka slammed a forehand strike down the line backing up the break with a bang for 4-1.
Even when Pegula had Sabalenka stretched on the defensive, the top seed had an answer. Sabalenka wristed back a forehand pass and Pegula’s frustration erupted as she bounced her blue Yonex stick off the court. A flying Sabalenka slammed a smash holding for 5-2.
A Pegula shot strayed beyond the baseline as the reigning champion earned match point.
Unleashing one final forehand in the corner, Sabalenka wrapped her most commanding performance of the tournament.
Bring on the final.
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