Sabalenka and Rybakina Set for US Open Women's Final

Sabalenka's Flawless Night on Ashe

Aryna Sabalenka extended her extraordinary winning run at the US Open to 19 consecutive matches on Thursday night, brushing aside American home favourite Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 to book her place in a third straight final at Flushing Meadows. The Belarusian defending champion was relentless from the baseline, overpowering Pegula with trademark ferocity and moving her shot-making to a level the American simply could not match.

Pegula, who had been imperious in reaching the semi-finals without losing a set, found herself outgunned almost from the opening exchange. Sabalenka broke early in the first set, was pegged back momentarily, then broke decisively to seal it 7-5 before dominating the second 6-2. The match lasted barely ninety minutes. "I wanted it badly," Sabalenka said courtside immediately afterwards. A victory on Saturday would make her the first player to win three consecutive US Open titles since Serena Williams completed the feat in 2014, erasing one of the last great records Williams holds at Flushing Meadows.

Rybakina Grinds Down Gauff in Three Sets

The second semi-final took a very different shape. Elena Rybakina, who clinched the world No. 1 ranking during this fortnight, was rattled out of her rhythm early by a fired-up Coco Gauff. The American attacked Rybakina's second serve with precision and dictated terms from the back of the court to take the opening set 6-3 with conviction, leaving the Wimbledon champion temporarily unsettled on her own baseline.

What followed was a masterclass in composure. Rybakina reset her game in the second set, loading her first serve with greater pace and slicing Gauff's backhand into the corner repeatedly. She levelled at 6-4, then reproduced the same formula in the decider. Final score: 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 — and a place in Rybakina's first-ever US Open final. The match had everything: aggression, momentum shifts, and two elite competitors operating at the limits of their game.

For Gauff, who had saved match points against Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals to reach this stage, the defeat is a heavy blow on home soil. She exits the 2026 US Open without reaching a Grand Slam final.

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The Final: Saturday's Date With History

Saturday's final at Arthur Ashe Stadium sets up one of the most compelling matches of the entire season. Sabalenka arrives with 19 straight wins in the tournament and a game tailored perfectly for New York's hard courts. Rybakina brings the world's top ranking, a Wimbledon title, and a serve that generates more free points than any other player on tour in 2026.

The stakes are substantial for both. If Sabalenka prevails, she becomes only the second player in the Open Era — after Serena Williams — to win three consecutive US Open singles titles. If Rybakina triumphs, she secures her second Grand Slam alongside her 2022 Wimbledon crown and fully validates her status as the sport's new standard-bearer on hard courts as well as grass.

The US Open women's final is scheduled for Saturday, 12 September, on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sabalenka has not lost at Flushing Meadows since 2023; Rybakina has never played a final here before.