Sabalenka dominates Pegula, keeps US Open three-peat bid alive

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Aryna Sabalenka moved one win away from capturing a third consecutive US Open title after overwhelming Jessica Pegula in the semifinals, 7-5, 6-2, on Sept. 11, 2026, at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

Fresh off a grueling three-set battle with Linda Noskova, Sabalenka picked up where she left off and left no crumbs after outplaying Pegula to reach a third straight US Open final.

It was a high-octane start to the highly anticipated women’s singles semifinal showdown, as neither player surrendered a service game in the first 10 games.

However, Sabalenka found a window of opportunity in the 11th game after a blistering 40-0 start put Pegula’s service game in danger, leading to the only break of the first set for a 1-0 lead.

Sabalenka finally read Pegula’s serve timing in the most crucial stretch as she took the ball earlier on the rise, resulting in deeper groundstrokes that forced the American behind the baseline.

With all the momentum in the world, Sabalenka immediately heated up at the start of the second set, sending powerful backhands off Pegula’s sloppy returns in the first three games.

Sabalenka made minimal adjustments in the second set, including a shift from targeting the corners to redirecting her topspin shots to no-man’s land.

It was a playbook she tore from her third-set performance against Noskova, when the Czech attempted to disrupt her rhythm by storming the net.

With Sabalenka not slowing down, a service break put her ahead, 4-1, and she never looked back as she closed out the semifinal win.

Sabalenka went “big or go home” with her service performance, making up for three double faults with seven aces and a 74% win rate on her first serves.

The world No. 1 Belarusian ace once again displayed a strong offensive performance, finishing the semifinal win with 65 total points won, including 23 on return.

“I’m just so happy that I was able to pull off such tennis,” Sabalenka said during the on-court interview.

“I was so desperate for the win, I wanted it so bad, and I was just trying to focus on myself. Thank you for the atmosphere. Honestly guys, you are the best. Your respect to me is priceless.”

Standing in Sabalenka’s way in her three-peat quest is Elena Rybakina, who earlier rallied past Coco Gauff in the other semifinal, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.