The finalists for the women’s singles at the season’s last Grand Slam, the U.S. Open, have been determined.
In the first semifinal match, second seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated 13th seed Emma Navarro 6-3, 7-6 to secure her spot in the final.
In the other semifinal, sixth seed Jessica Pegula, one of the season’s in-form players, overcame Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the final.
Sabalenka, who led by a set in last year’s final against Coco Gauff, lost control due to the pressure from the crowd and ended up on the losing side.
Reflecting on the pressure, the Belarusian said after the match, “Last year, it was really loud. It was so loud it was clogging my ears, so there was a lot of pressure. I think my mistake was focusing too much on myself, without realizing Coco Gauff was on the same court, hearing the same noise, facing the same pressure. Yes, they were cheering for her, but how could that help her win?”
Aryna Sabalenka has now become the first woman to reach consecutive U.S. Open finals since Serena Williams in 2019. The Belarusian also defeated Pegula a month ago in the Cincinnati Masters final with a score of 6-3, 7-5.
Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula, who won the Montreal Masters and reached the final in Cincinnati, has extended her remarkable form to the Grand Slam level by making the U.S. Open final. The American knocked out world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals and eliminated the red-hot Karolina Muchova in the semifinals.
Following her victory, Pegula commented on Sabalenka, saying, “She showed how tough she is in the semifinals and why she’s the favorite to win this tournament. It’ll be a rematch of Cincinnati, and I hope I can get my revenge here. It’s crazy that we’re meeting again in the final, but it shows how well we’re both playing on hard courts. It’ll be tough to beat her, but that’s what finals are for, so I’m ready.”
This will be Jessica Pegula’s first Grand Slam final, with her previous best U.S. Open result being the quarterfinals.
The two players have faced each other seven times, with Aryna Sabalenka winning five of those encounters.
The 2024 U.S. Open women’s final is scheduled to take place on Saturday at 11:00 PM.
