New Delhi: World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka bagged the US Open women’s singles on Saturday following a thrilling victory over home favourite Jessica Pegula at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. The 26-year-old Belarusian tennis player became the ninth women to lift the US Open in the last 10 editions with Japan’s Naomi Osaka being the only player to win it twice in 2018 and 2020.
Sabalenka rallied past a resurgent Pegula with identical margins of 7-5, 7-5 in a dramatic match of 1 hour and 53 minutes to claim her third Grand Slam title after winning successive Australian Open trophies (2023 & 2024) to send a message across that she is likely to rule the hard court in the coming years.
Pegula recovered from a 0-3 deficit and a break point to move into a driver’s seat at 5-3 in the second set. But she couldn’t keep the Belarusian after she broke in the 10th game and further level games at 5-5 before stunning the boisterous crowd of 23,000 spectators, many of whom rallied behind Pegula to seal her maiden Grand Slam, a long-standing dream which continues.
Sabalenka clubbed 40 winners to become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to win both Grand Slam events on hard court in the same season.
“I’m speechless. So many times I was close to the US Open title and finally I got it Never give up on your dream. Work hard. I’m super proud of myself,” Sabalenka said after her maiden US Open win.
Aryna Sabalenka bounces back in US Open after heartbreak last year
Sabalenka lost the 2023 US Open final to Pegula’s compatriot Coco Gauff and struggled to settle in during the early stages on Saturday as a flurry of errors handed the home favourite a break for 2-1. However, she managed to hold firm and broke twice to lead 4-2.
Pegula, who had knocked out world number one Iga Swiatek and then battled from a set and break down to see off Karolina Muchova in the semi-final, clung on. From 2-5 down, she hit back for 5-5, breaking Sabalenka as the Australian Open champion served for the set.
In a marathon 12th game, Pegula saved four set points but not the fifth. Sabalenka had unleashed 25 winners and committed 23 unforced errors to Pegula’s nine and 11, displaying a dramatic contrast of styles in the 60-minute opener.
It was a remorseless Sabalenka who wasn’t ready to squander the advantage of first set and thwarted every challenge even when her back was against the wall after trailing 3-5 in the second set. The roller-coaster ride was worth it after she held to her nerves to lift the trophy at the Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time.
(With inputs from AFP)
Aryna Sabalenka rallied past a resurgent Pegula with identical margins of 7-5, 7-5 in a dramatic match of 1 hour and 53 minutes to claim her third Grand Slam title after winning successive Australian Open trophies (2023 & 2024). Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
