Belarusian tennis ace Aryna Sabalenka ground out a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Jessica Pegula to finally get her hands on the US Open title on Saturday (7 September).
The World No.2 captured her third career Grand Slam in the process adding to her 2023 and 2024 Australian Open crowns – becoming only the fifth player in the Open Era to win the US Open and the Australian Open in the same year.
Winning the final point, Sabalenka dropped to the blue court before waving kisses at the crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Sabalenka, who came into the contest as the favourite, seemed to be battling with the demons from her 2023 defeat to Coco Gauff at Flushing Meadows. The 26-year-old Sabalanka squandered a 5-2 lead in the first set before taking the advantage by the skin of her teeth.
Sabalenka would at times dictate play and at others, she seemed to capitulate under the pressure of the moment allowing Pegula into the match. Pegula, making her first appearance in a Grand Slam at age 30, broke early in the first set to instil some doubt in Sabalenka. The Belarusian then recovered the break in the next game and looked set to take first in her stride.
But Pegula fought back tenaciously to 5-5 while Sabalenka also allowed her into the match with a host of unforced errors, including four double faults.
Sabalenka prevailed in the end to go 1-0 up and carried the momentum into the second set with a 3-0 lead. Pegula again dug in her heels clawing her way back to take a 5-3 lead over the number-two seed.
The second set finished in the same way as the second with Pegula unable to convert her advantage with the momentum instead swinging back into Sabalenka’s favour.
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