US Open final LIVE: Aryna Sabalenka v Jessica Pegula result and reaction from gripping women’s final
Sabalenka won a US Open final full of twists and turns 7-5 7-5 to win her third grand slam title
Aryna Sabalenka won her first US Open title and third grand slam after beating home favourite Jessica Pegula to avenge last year’s final defeat.
There was heartbreak for Sabalenka in New York 12 months ago when Coco Gauff battled from a set down to win the US Open final. But a year later, Sabalenka subdued the home crowd and a charging Pegula to win 7-5 7-5.
There were nervy moments, particulary as the American Pegula, playing in her first grand slam final, fought back from 3-0 down to lead 5-3 in the second set. Pegula served to take the match into a third set but, once again, Sabalenka managed to overturn Pegula’s momentum and silence the home crowd
The World No 2 from Belarus adds the US Open title to back-to-back Australian Opens, having defended her crown in Melbourne at the start of the year.
It’s a big weekend for the Americans at the US Open, with home players through to the finals of both the women’s and men’s singles for the first time since 2002. Tomorrow, Taylor Fritz will face World No 1 Jannik Sinner for a shot at his first grand slam title.
Follow all the latest build-up, score updates and reaction from the US Open women’s final below:
US Open final: Jessica Pegula vs Aryna Sabalenka
Pegula reached the US Open final by defeating World No 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and then producing an incredible comeback against Karolina Muchova in the semi-finals.
Muchova won seven games in a row to lead by a set and break, but Pegula rallied back to claim a 1-6 6-4 6-2 victory.
“It comes down to really small moments that flip momentum, I came out really flat, she was playing unbelievable, she mae me look like a beginner,” Pegula said.
“I wanted to burst into tears, it was embarrassing. She was destroying me, I was able to find a way, get some adrenalin and find my legs and then I started to play how I wanted to play.
“It took a while but I don’t know how I turned that around.”
US Open final: Jessica Pegula vs Aryna Sabalenka
Pegula did not crack the top 100 of the WTA rankings until her seventh year on the Tour. Once she did, she progressed to World No 3 and has stayed in the top-10 ever since, despite struggling with injuries at the start of the season. She has reached her first grand slam final at the age of 30, after losing her first six appearances in quarter-finals.
“I hope I can be an inspiration to other players who feel like they are stuck or they are not getting better, that you can always find a way to get better and improve,” she said.
“There’s definitely moments where I didn’t want to play tennis, I didn’t know whether I wanted to do it anymore. You definitely hit those types of low moments.
"I have definitely had several of those, but I think in the end I always would kind of snap back and be, like, ‘OK, what am I talking about?’ I would always kind of flip the script a little bit, and I have always been good at doing that. I think that’s why I’ve always been able to come back from different challenges even better than before.
"Honestly, I’ve always felt like, not that it was never going to happen, I almost think the opposite. I always felt like, you know what, ‘You’ll figure it out eventually.’ That’s always something I’ve always told myself, I’ll figure it out one of these times.
"I think that’s just kind of maybe my quiet kind of confidence to myself that I feel like I always have."
US Open final: Jessica Pegula vs Aryna Sabalenka
Pegula plays in her first grand slam final against Aryna Sabalenka. She will aim to keep the US Open trophy in American hands after Coco Gauff’s victory last year, which also came against Sabalenka.
The Belarusian will start as the clear favourite. In New York, she has continued her remarkable consistency at the hard court grand slams, having won the last two Australian Open titles, and now reaching the last two US Open finals.
US Open final: Jessica Pegula vs Aryna Sabalenka
“It can happen quickly,” Jessica Pegula reflected as she reached the first grand slam final of her career at the US Open. After finally ending her quarter-final curse, following six consecutive defeats at the last-eight of a major, Pegula immediately went one step better in the biggest match of her life.
The American had spent years pounding at the door of the majors without ever really convincing that she was capable of taking the next step.
Now, after pulling off a determined comeback win over Karolina Muchova in the semi-finals in New York, the 30-year-old stands on the brink of the biggest breakthrough of all in the US Open final.
How to watch
The US Open is being shown live on Sky Sports Tennis throughout the fortnight and both finals will be broadcast on the channel. Subscribers can stream the match online via the the Sky Sports Go app and website.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
When is the US Open women’s final?
Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka will take to the court at 9pm BST (UK time) on Saturday 7 September in New York. The final will start at 4pm local time (ET).
Hello and welcome
Jessica Pegula faces Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final that will crown a new women’s champion in New York.
Pegula is looking to keep the title in American hands after Coco Gauff’s victory at Flushing Meadows last year.
Gauff’s win came against Sabalenka, but the Belarusian has underlined her status as the dominant hard-court player with another run to the US Open final.
Sabalenka, who has won the last two Australian Open titles, has experience on her side against the sixth-seed Pegula, who is through to her first grand slam final at the age of 30.
But Pegula, who defeated World No 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals, will have the backing of the Arthur Ashe crowd in an intriguing final in New York.
Follow all the latest build-up, score updates and reaction from the US Open women’s final
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