World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka defeated American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on Thursday to advance to the U.S. Open women's singles final. Sabalenka, the top-ranked Belarusian player, will be seeking her third consecutive U.S. Open title when she faces either No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina or No. 4 seed Coco Gauff on Saturday.
Sabalenka controlled the match, particularly in the second set, after a closely contested first set. She produced 29 winners compared to Pegula's 12. Sabalenka expressed satisfaction with her performance, stating she was "super happy" to reach the final.
"I was so desperate for the win, I wanted it badly," Sabalenka said after the match.
With this victory, Sabalenka extends her U.S. Open match win streak to 19 matches, dating back to her loss in the 2023 final. If she secures the title, she will be the first woman since Serena Williams from 2012-2014 to win three consecutive U.S. Open championships. Rybakina is set to replace Sabalenka as the women's tennis world No. 1 next week, a position Sabalenka has held since the previous year.