Two-time defending champion Sabalenka powers past Pegula into US Open final

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 -- who beat Sabalenka in the 2023 final.

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.

"I'm super happy I was able to play such tennis," said Sabalenka, who sent down seven aces and 29 winners. "I was so desperate to win. I wanted it so badly."

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 hit a return long to give up match point. 

Sabalenka sealed victory with another ferocious forehand.