Aryna Sabalenka defeats Jessica Pegula to win US Open Women's singles

US Open, 

Sunday, 8 September, 2024 

McCreadie Andias 

World Number Sabalenka secured her first US Open Women's singles title after defeating American Jessica Pegula, 7-5, 7-5 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday. 

It was a Sucessful run for the Belarusian who had lost the title to American Coco Gauff in 2023 but her relentless efforts paid off this time. 

Trailing 3-0 into the second set. Sabalenka was forced into an emphatic comeback winning for consecutive games to claim the title. 

Sabalenka was the first to show her nerves, slipping to 15-40 when serving at 1-1. Pegula broke with a rocketing return, grabbing the set’s first advantage. But then she showed nerves too and dropped her own serve to level the score, 2-2.

At the 30-minute mark, Pegula was serving down 2-5—and serving well, with four aces on the match, compared to Sabalenka’s three. The American looked relieved to pull out that game, with a pretty forehand approach to the net.

And so the first set was back on track, with Pegula serving at 4-5. The American made quick work of her service hold. Twice in the next game, Sabalenka blew chances to close it out with double faults. Finally, a skidding, 113 mph serve led to a Pegula error—and the American was faced with the task of holding her serve at 5-6.

Sabalenka kept up the pressure to earn her two set points. She missed out on both of them. And then two more. For her part, Pegula stayed steady—until she double faulted to give her opponent her fifth chance. Sabalenka seized it to take the set, 7-5.

Early in the second set, the American’s error count was mounting, 15 of them to just 10 winners. On the other side of the net, Sabalenka—with 30 winners to 25 errors—cruised to 3-0 lead.

Credit goes to Pegula for finding a way to win four straight games and earning a 4-3 lead, her first in the match. Make that five straight games and suddenly Sabalenka, down 3-5, was serving to stay in the set.

Instead, she held onto her serve and then broke back to level the set to 5-5. A short time later, up 6-5, Sabalenka hit four bruising forehands to put pressure on Pegula’s serve. She seized her second match-point opportunity to win the set, 7-5, and the championship.

The Second seed who hails a 12-match winning streak, adds the title to her two back to back Australian open titles and a victory against Pegula at the Cincinnati open two weeks ago. 

The victory was also a moment of relief for Sabalenka who had bowed out on that stage in the US Open semifinals twice, in 2021 and 2022.

Meanwhile, It was Pegula's maiden grand slam final, She had only recently managed a runners up spot at the Cincinnati Open moving on to triumph at the Ned bank cup. 

Pegula had been eliminated in major quarterfinals six times over the course of her career before beating No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek this tournament to secure her first quarterfinal win at a Slam.

"If you would have told me at the beginning of the year I'd be in the final of the US Open, I would have laughed so hard," said Pegula after advancing to the title round.

Despite not winning the title, Pegula will earn a new career-high WTA ranking on the heels of her best major run. 

Come Monday, the American will move up three places to No. 3 in the world. American Emma Navarro will also hit a new high, rising from No. 12 to No. 8. For her part, Sabalenka will remain world No. 2 and, despite crashing out in the quarterfinals here, Swiatek will retain her No.1 spot.