Aryna Sabalenka moved within one victory of a third consecutive US Open championship on Thursday night, dismantling third-seeded Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the women's semi-final at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The top-seeded Belarusian extended her remarkable winning streak at Flushing Meadows to 19 consecutive matches, overwhelming her American opponent with 29 winners compared to Pegula's 12 in a performance that shifted from competitive to dominant as the match progressed.
The semi-final marked a historic occasion for the tournament. All four top seeds reached the last four for the first time at the US Open since 1975, with Sabalenka facing Pegula in the opening match of Thursday's twin bill before Coco Gauff took on Elena Rybakina in the evening session. The last time such a concentration of top seeds had advanced to a grand slam semi-final was at Wimbledon in 2009.
An electric crowd exceeding 20,000 fans filled the stadium for the opening leg of the women's semi-final doubleheader. Sabalenka, dressed entirely in black, engaged in a furious baseline exchange with Pegula through the opening set's first eight games, which consumed just 25 minutes and featured rallies averaging only two and a half shots. The American competitor matched Sabalenka's aggressive weight of shot effectively, while the champion's concussive power was tempered by sufficient errors to keep the opening set balanced on a knife-edge.
Pegula earned her first break point opportunity at 4-all when a Sabalenka double fault at deuce handed the American a chance to seize control. The crowd erupted in anticipation, but Sabalenka responded immediately with a blistering forehand winner, followed by a winning forehand volley, to escape the break and hold serve.
Even the break point, I hit a good return, and she just rips a forehand cross. It was rough today. I did my best. I thought I didn't play bad.
The set's complexion transformed abruptly when Pegula served at 5-6. Sabalenka suddenly found another gear, ripping a backhand winner after an eight-shot exchange, drawing an error following another eight-shot rally, and crushing a forehand winner off a second serve to reach 0-40. Although Pegula saved the first set point, she could not prevent the second, and the set that had been level moments earlier belonged to Sabalenka after 43 minutes.
Sabalenka carried her brisk pace into the second set, moving through her work with relentless efficiency. Pegula held for 1-all, but two games later Sabalenka began targeting her opponent's second serve, eventually breaking on her fourth opportunity with another forehand winner. She consolidated for 4-1 and never relinquished control, breaking Pegula again in the final game to complete a victory that had evolved from tightly contested to emphatic.
I tried to stick around to see if the level would go off. But it seemed like it just got better as the match went on.
Pegula's second serve proved to be the decisive factor, as she won only five of 19 points on that delivery. For the third consecutive September, Pegula had reached the second week in New York only to encounter the same formidable obstacle. Their emerging US Open rivalry began with Sabalenka's 7-5, 7-5 victory in the 2024 final. Twelve months later, Pegula pushed her considerably harder, claiming the opening set before Sabalenka recovered for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 semi-final victory on her path to successfully defending her crown. Thursday's proceedings proved considerably more straightforward.
I don't know who pissed her off today. 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 attributed her heightened focus partly to a loss she suffered against Pegula on grass in Berlin earlier in the summer.
It really make me feel like I have little chances today in a way, but also, I knew that I have to be focused from the beginning until the end. I think that really helped me to be that focused and to perform at that level.
The 28-year-old also reflected on her overall performance during the match.
I felt like whatever decision I would make, it is the right decision. So I would definitely say that against Jess probably today, compared to the last matches we played, it was definitely the better level from me.
Path to the Final
Sabalenka has demonstrated little vulnerability throughout this fortnight. She swept through Camila Osorio, Polina Iatcenko, Kamilla Rakhimova and Taylor Townsend without dropping a set before surviving her first serious examination against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in Tuesday's quarter-final, securing a 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 victory after 2 hours and 22 minutes. This semi-final victory now positions her one match away from becoming the third woman to win three straight US Open titles, joining Chris Evert and Serena Williams in that exclusive club. She has reached the final on each of her past four appearances at the tournament, a run that began with her defeat by Coco Gauff in the 2023 championship match.
The Ranking Situation
A significant subplot surrounds the world rankings. Elena Rybakina's three-set comeback victory over Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals secured the world No. 1 ranking, ending Sabalenka's 99-week tenure at the top when the rankings update on Monday. This means that regardless of the outcome of Saturday's final, Sabalenka's time as the world's highest-ranked player will conclude.
When asked how she felt about potentially winning the tournament while surrendering the top ranking, Sabalenka's initial response was direct.
I don't care.
She then elaborated on her perspective.
Not much I could do about that, but I can only focus on myself and just stay in the moment and trying to do my best right now.
What Happens Next
Sabalenka will face either Rybakina or Gauff in Saturday's final. The women's final is scheduled for September 12, following Thursday's second semi-final between Gauff and Rybakina. Gauff reached the semi-finals after saving two match points against Mirra Andreeva and rallying from a set down in her quarter-final encounter. The two semi-final matches on Thursday were scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET and 8:10 p.m. ET respectively, with Sabalenka and Pegula taking the opening slot on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The ranking may be lost to Sabalenka, but the US Open title remains hers to defend for at least one more match.
Key Facts:
- Sabalenka extended her US Open winning streak to 19 consecutive matches with a 7-5, 6-2 semi-final victory over Pegula
- All four top seeds reached the US Open semi-finals for the first time since 1975, and the first time at any grand slam since Wimbledon 2009
- Sabalenka is one victory away from becoming the third woman to win three consecutive US Open titles, joining Chris Evert and Serena Williams
- Elena Rybakina's quarter-final victory over Zheng Qinwen secured the world No. 1 ranking, ending Sabalenka's 99-week reign at the top
- Sabalenka will face either Rybakina or Gauff in the final scheduled for Saturday, September 12
