Aryna Sabalenka beats Jessica Pegula to win elusive US Open

NEW YORK — Moments after successful her third Grand Slam singles title, and first on the US Open, Aryna Sabalenka fell to the bottom together with her palms masking her face.

She had simply defeated American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in entrance of a partisan and star-studded crowd Saturday beneath the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

It was a markedly completely different scene from a yr in the past, when Sabalenka squandered a one-set lead over Coco Gauff, one other American, within the US Open ultimate and walked away with the runner-up trophy. And even the 2 years earlier than that, when she misplaced within the semifinal spherical in 2021 and 2022.

The No. 2-seeded Sabalenka, from Belarus, could not assist however acknowledge her previous when addressing the gang in the course of the trophy ceremony.

“Oh, my God. I am speechless proper now,” Sabalenka, 26, mentioned. “So many occasions, I assumed I used to be so near get a US Open title. It has been a dream of mine. Lastly, I obtained this stunning trophy. It means lots.”

Taking part in in her one hundredth profession main match, Sabalenka grew to become the sixth completely different lady to win the US Open after dropping within the ultimate the earlier yr, and first since Serena Williams in 2012.

She additionally moved into fourth place amongst lively WTA gamers for essentially the most Slam singles titles, behind solely Venus Williams (7), Iga Swiatek (5) and Naomi Osaka (4).

Sabalenka wanted to dig deep and lift her stage in the course of the match, which noticed each gamers take management at varied factors. Within the opening set, Sabalenka raced out to a 5-2 lead earlier than Pegula discovered her rhythm and rattled off the subsequent three video games.

However as soon as the set reached 5-all, it was Sabalenka who discovered her momentum. She gained the subsequent 5 video games to win the set and take a 3-0 lead within the second.

However Pegula, who was enjoying in her first main ultimate, wasn’t accomplished combating. The No. 6 seed went on a five-game run of her personal, and a deciding set appeared all however sure. However Pegula could not fairly end the job. Serving at 5-4, she allowed Sabalenka to stage the set with a break.

“I used to be type of preparing for the third set. [Thinking] a minimum of like, ‘You may be assured in your serve within the third set,’ after which I held my serve. I put a lot stress on her [in] that serving sport at 5-4, and I am actually glad I used to be capable of break her again,” Sabalenka mentioned.

From there, it was all Sabalenka. After 1 hour and 53 minutes, and having gained 16 of the ultimate 23 factors, the trophy was Sabalenka’s ultimately.

“Was capable of finding some good tennis, simply wasn’t fairly capable of maintain it,” Pegula mentioned. “She performed some large tennis in some large moments.”

It has been a season of highs and lows for Sabalenka. After successful her second consecutive Australian Open in January, private tragedy struck when her former associate, Konstantin Koltsov, a retired skilled hockey participant, died in what was dominated an obvious suicide days forward of the Miami Open. Sabalenka, in a press release, mentioned her coronary heart was “damaged” by his dying.

On the court docket, she reached the finals of the clay tournaments in Madrid and Rome, however struggled with a abdomen virus on the French Open and misplaced within the quarterfinals. She was pressured to withdraw from Wimbledon with a shoulder harm. Whereas lots of her friends performed the Olympic singles event in Paris, Sabalenka — who might have participated as a impartial athlete since her native Belarus was banned due to the continuing struggle in Ukraine — opted out, citing her have to prioritize her well being throughout an already grueling season.

As gamers equivalent to Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz admitted they struggled with fatigue and an absence of power following Olympic medal runs and a number of floor adjustments, Sabalenka has had no such points. She arrived in New York having gained the 1000-level title in Cincinnati in her ultimate tuneup occasion and now has a 16-2 report on the arduous court docket this summer time.

Throughout an interview with ESPN after the ultimate on Saturday, she mentioned the aggressive break had been important to her current success.

“I [kept] pushing myself and I assume I simply obtained to the restrict emotionally and bodily and it was essential to type of step again, simply recharge,” Sabalenka mentioned. “Simply that little second with myself actually helped me to be extra contemporary and extra prepared and I felt like I used to be hungrier than ever on this summer time.”

Sabalenka mentioned it was the powerful moments on and off the court docket that helped her get by way of essentially the most essential factors on Saturday.

“[I was] making an attempt to remain sturdy and making an attempt to remind myself that I’ve been by way of lots and I am sturdy sufficient to carry beneath this stress,” mentioned Sabalenka, the fifth completely different lady to win the Australian Open and US Open in the identical yr since 1988, when the Australian main switched to hard-court.

Whereas Pegula, 30, admitted to being dissatisfied concerning the ultimate consequence, she mentioned she was “comparatively talking, completely satisfied” that she had continued to create probabilities for herself within the match, and was pleased with her run all through the event.

After reaching six earlier main quarterfinals, she superior to her first semifinal on Wednesday behind a staggering 6-2, 6-4 upset victory of Swiatek, the world No. 1. Some 24 hours later, she recovered from dropping the opening set 6-1 to defeat Karolina Muchova in three units to succeed in the ultimate.

She had been trying to turn out to be the second-oldest first-time girls’s main champion within the Open period and the primary lady since 2006 to defeat the highest two gamers at a single US Open. However it was to not be.

She could not fairly recognize what she had completed moments after leaving the court docket however knew she in all probability would sooner or later.

“Everyone seems to be like, ‘Congrats! Superb event!’ and I am like, ‘Eh, no matter.'” Pegula mentioned. “I believe perhaps as soon as I decompress somewhat bit, I am positive I can be somewhat bit extra appreciative and see all of that.”

Pegula, who gained the Canadian Open final month and reached the ultimate in Cincinnati, will transfer as much as No. 3 when the brand new WTA rankings launch Monday, matching her earlier profession excessive. Sabalenka stays at No. 2.

ESPN Stats & Data contributed to this report.