‘Insane’ Aryna Sabalenka powers past Pegula into US Open final

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, gestures as she wins her match against Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women’s singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEW YORK–Top seed Aryna Sabalenka stayed on course for a third consecutive US Open crown on Thursday, storming into the final with a straight sets demolition of American third seed Jessica Pegula.

Sabalenka – who beat Pegula en route to US Open wins in 2024 and 2025 – punched her ticket to Saturday’s final with a 7-5, 6-2 win on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

The 28-year-old Belarusian, bidding to join Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to win three straight US Open titles, swatted aside Pegula with a dominant service game and a fearsome array of powerful groundstrokes.

Sabalenka will face the winner of Thursday’s other semi-final between second seed Elena Rybakina or fourth seed Coco Gauff.

Gauff beat Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open final while Rybakina — who beat the Belarusian in the Australian Open final in January — has toppled her from the number one ranking just by reaching the semis.

On the evidence of her semi-final win, Sabalenka will head into the final bristling with confidence after producing her best performance of the tournament to snuff out Pegula’s dream of a first-ever Grand Slam title.

Pegula, who posted a dominant victory over Sabalenka on grass in Berlin this year as the Belarusian struggled through the summer, thought it was the best match Sabalenka had played all year.

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, left, greets Jessica Pegula, of the United States, after Sabalenka won their match during the women’s singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

“I thought her level was insanely high,” Pegula said. “Maybe she felt a little bit off at the beginning, but I feel like we were both playing well, serving well … she played insane. She played a super high level.”

Sabalenka, who sent down seven aces and 29 winners, said she was “desperate” for the win.

“I wanted it so badly,” she said. “I lost a tough match on grass against Jess, and I wasn’t really performing well in the middle part of the season.

“So it kind of 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.”

Both players gave away little in the first set, serving superbly to keep the match on serve until the 12th game, with Sabalenka leading 6-5.

It was Pegula who would blink first, finding herself down 0-40 after a barrage of hefty groundstrokes from Sabalenka, who clinched the set when Pegula duffed a return into the net.

Sabalenka kept the momentum rolling in the second set, attacking Pegula’s suspect second serve and grabbing the crucial break for a 3-1 lead when she lasered a forehand into the corner.

The rest of the set went with serve until the eighth game, when Pegula fired long to give up a match point and Sabalenka sealed victory with another ferocious forehand.