Aryna Sabalenka managed to pass Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in a wild atmosphere US Open women’s final on Saturday to win her first championship at Flushing Meadows and the third Grand Slam title of her career.
Sabalenka, 26, from Belarus, adds the trophy to the two she has won at the Australian Open each of the last two seasons, also on hard courts. And the victory allows her to leave Arthur Ashe Stadium in a much better mood than when she was runner-up to Coco Gauff at the 2023 US Open.
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Pegula, a New York native whose parents own the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, was making her first appearance in a major final. She has won 15 of her last 17 games over the past month, but her two losses came against Sabalenka in the tournament final.
