Aryna Sabalenka holds off Jessica Pegula to clinch final return
Aryna Sabalenka is one victory away from retaining her US Open title after winning a pulsating rematch against Jessica Pegula.
The semi-final was a repeat of last year’s final, which Sabalenka won in two tight sets, but this time she had to come from a set down to claim a 4-6 6-3 6-4 win.
The world number one is looking for her first grand slam title of the season, after losing in the final in Australia and Paris and the semi-finals at Wimbledon, and Pegula did everything she could to try to make Sabalenka doubt herself.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK US OPEN SINGLES FINALS. pic.twitter.com/THfaKFA7Cm
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2025
But ultimately the 27-year-old, who is looking to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to successfully defend the trophy, kept her nerve.
“It was a really tough match, she played incredible tennis as always and I had to work really hard to get this win,” said Sabalenka.
“I’m just super happy to be in the finals again and hopefully I can go all the way again. I was just praying inside and hoping for the best. I’ll go out there on Saturday and I’ll fight for every point like (it’s) the last point of my life.”
Neither woman had lost a set in reaching the last four, with Pegula playing herself into form having arrived in New York low in confidence after a difficult summer.
Sabalenka had the advantage on head-to-head having won seven of their nine previous meetings, including the last three, all in straight sets.
The Belarusian was taking to the court for the first time in four days after quarter-final opponent Marketa Vondrousova pulled out of the tournament injured ahead of their scheduled clash.
After her error-strewn display in the French Open final against Coco Gauff in