MATCH REPORT | 2024 US Open: Third Grand Slam for Aryna Sabalenka, defeats Jessica Pegula in hard-fought final

Aryna Sabalenka overcomes Jessica Pegula to claim the US Open title. The Belarusian found herself in trouble in the second set, but recovered from 2-5 to close the match in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5.

Sabalenka completes the Hardcourt-Slam, winning both the Australian Open and the US Open, becoming only the third woman in the last 30 years to win both hardcourt Grand Slams in the same season, following Angelique Kerber (2016) and Martina Hingis (1997).

Due to weather conditions in New York, the match was played under a closed roof. After both players started strongly by holding their service games, Pegula was the first to break in the third game.

In recent months, Sabalenka has added more dropshots to her game, which proved to be a valuable weapon against Pegula’s defense in longer rallies. Additionally, it seemed that Sabalenka had studied Pegula’s match against Karolina Muchova, as the Belarusian frequently approached the net for volleys, catching Pegula off guard.

By the middle of the set, Sabalenka appeared more relaxed on the court after a slow start, capitalizing on Pegula’s dip in form to recover the break and take the lead by winning four consecutive games.

The American faced a challenging moment while serving at 2-5, 0-15, but gradually regained her confidence. Pegula persistently targeted her opponent’s backhand, managing to level the rallies, as Sabalenka dominated whenever she could strike her forehand comfortably.

The American No. 1 gained confidence and took advantage of a few errors from Sabalenka to break back and level the score at 5-5, with the crowd becoming more involved in the action on the court.

Despite two double faults, Sabalenka regained her focus to win a difficult service game, then applied pressure to her opponent, earning three set points before taking the set 7-5. The match seemed to hinge on Sabalenka’s play, as she hit 25 winners and 23 unforced errors, compared to Pegula’s 9 winners and 11 unforced errors.

The former world No. 1 carried her momentum into the second set, easily winning the first game and breaking Pegula’s serve after a double fault, taking a 3-0 lead with five consecutive games in her favor. The American showed signs of frustration in her body language, while Sabalenka maintained her concentration.

However, Pegula proved that nothing is certain in tennis until the last point. The American fought back and raised her level from the baseline, forcing her opponent to take more risks. This shift led to errors from Sabalenka, allowing Pegula to stage a comeback, taking two consecutive breaks and leading 5-3 with the crowd fully engaged.

Sabalenka broke back and leveled the score at 5-5. With everything tied, Sabalenka took the initiative, showing her class by holding her serve and then capitalizing on Pegula’s service errors to secure a second consecutive break, clinching her second match point to win 7-5, 7-5.