Aryna Sabalenka clinched her third grand slam title and first in New York after overcoming the plucky challenge of Jessica Pegula in the US Open final.
Sabalenka was beaten in the final at Flushing Meadows by Coco Gauff 12 months ago and she had to work hard, particularly in fending off a Pegula comeback in the second set, to secure a 7-5 7-5 triumph.
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She said: “So many times I thought I was so close to get the US Open title, it’s always been a dream of mine and finally I got this beautiful trophy.”
The Belarusian beat Pegula to win the title in Cincinnati three weeks ago and she overcame an early break to establish a 5-2 lead with her blistering power from the baseline too much for the American.
But Pegula hit back impressively to level it at 5-5. She then had to face an onslaught from the world number two as she tried to take it to a tie-break, Sabalenka ramping up the pressure as well as the noise levels.
Four set points came and went before Pegula finally wilted, pushing a weak backhand into the net.
Second set requires Sabalenka comeback
New Yorker Pegula was visibly dejected and it was no surprise that Sabalenka capitalized to race into a 3-0 lead in double-quick time.
It seemed Pegula’s race was run but she showed enormous courage to start a comeback that quickly gained momentum. With the home crowd roaring her on, she won five games on the trot and seemed likely to take the match all the way.
From @BillieJeanKing to @SabalenkaA…
The US Open crowns a new champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/pOjHGhPWdo
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2024
But Sabalenka was not to be denied. She held for 4-5 and then broke with Pegula serving for the set, the sixth seed unable to overcome a sloppy start to the game.
Suddenly, the set was there for the taking and Sabelnka seized the initiative. She held to 15 and, with the momentum behind her, broke to 30 when Pegula went long before falling to the ground in delight.
“It has been an incredible month for me,” said Pegula.
“I had a tough start to the year but managed to turn it around. I didn’t expect to be standing here and I’m grateful for the last few months of tennis and some incredible matches.”
