Jessica Pegula won the Toronto title, a week before Aryna Sabalenka triumphed in Cincinnati.
Both have carried that form into the US Open, where they will meet on Saturday in a fitting finale to compete for the women’s singles title.
Not since 2013 have the champions of both WTA 1000 hard-court events leading into the US Open met in the subsequent final at Flushing Meadows.
Back then, Toronto winner Serena Williams overcame Cincinnati champion Victoria Azarenka, avenging her loss to Azarenka in the Cincinnati final.
There are parallels with the results of 2024, given Sabalenka beat Pegula in the Cincinnati final.
Will Pegula emulate fellow American Williams and flip that result in the final in New York?
It will be a tough ask, given Sabalenka leads the head-to-head series 5-2, is riding an 11-match winning streak, and has largely dominated opponents to win 22 of her past 23 sets.
And while this will be Sabalenka’s fourth Grand Slam final appearance, it’s Pegula’s first.
“Obviously she's a really great hard court player, if not one of the best in the world, but I think I'm also a really good hard-court player,” said Pegula, who recovered from 6-1 2-0 down to beat Karolina Muchova in the semifinals.
“[In] Cincinnati, she served unbelievable, and I felt like I still had chances in that match. So hopefully she doesn't serve that good Saturday. Maybe a little bit less would be nice.”
Pegula, after losing to Sabalenka 6-3 7-5 in that Cincinnati final, said during the trophy presentation that she misheard the emcee, thinking instead of “Aryna” he’d said “Serena”.
“But it felt like Serena today, with the way you were serving there for a little bit,” she laughed as she addressed Sabalenka.
Sabalenka’s electrifying power, extroverted personality and love of the big stage certainly recall Williams, and no player since Williams has performed as consistently well at the Grand Slams.
Last year, Sabalenka became the first player since Serena in 2016 to reach all four major semifinals in one season. She has reached at least the quarterfinals in her past eight Slam appearances, and has reached the semifinals in nine of her past 12.
She’s also the first woman since Serena to progress to the semifinal stage at four consecutive US Opens, and after finishing runner-up last year to Coco Gauff, she will be hoping to go one better in 2024.
“I had really tough lessons here in the past… as I think I had so many opportunities here, but I didn't use it for different reasons,” said Sabalenka, who has won 22 of her past 25 matches in New York.
“I wasn't ready. Then I got emotional. Then I just couldn't handle the crowd.
“Every time I'm coming back here, I really enjoy being in New York, I enjoy these courts, I enjoy crowd, I enjoy playing in this beautiful stadium in front of the crowd. I enjoy the city, the time on the court.
“Tough losses never – how to say? – like, makes me feel depressed, thinking like of not coming back on the tournament. It's only motivate me to come back and to try one more time, try harder and maybe, like, work harder on some things which maybe didn't work in the past.
“I'm still hoping to hold that beautiful trophy.”
World No.2 Sabalenka has already hoisted the Australian Open trophy twice, meaning this would be her third major title – a number elevating her into a space occupied by some greats of the sport.
A win for Pegula would also see her emulate some elite names.
After beating world No.1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals, Pegula could become the first woman in 15 years to beat the world’s top two players at the same Grand Slam tournament. The last to do so was Svetlana Kuznetsova at Roland Garros in 2009, and not since Maria Sharapova in 2006 has a woman completed that feat at the US Open.
Pegula also joins a select group – along with Serena, Rosemary Casals, Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the Open era – to reach the Canada, Cincinnati and US Open finals in one season.
She has earned the most points on North American hard courts so far this season.
By upsetting Swiatek, Pegula cleared a big hurdle, winning her first Slam quarterfinal in seven attempts. And she has also dealt with other challenges, such a split with long-time coach David Witt earlier this season, and injury battles, which forced her to miss two months of competition, including Roland Garros.
Victory at Flushing Meadows, in her first major final at age 30, would be the icing on the cake.
“I mean, it's amazing. It's a childhood dream,” she said. “It's a lot of work, a lot of hard work put in. You couldn't even imagine how much goes into it.
“It would mean the world to me obviously. I'm just happy to be in a final, but obviously I come here to want to win the title.
“If you would have told me at the beginning of the year I'd be in the finals of the US Open, I would have laughed so hard, because that just was where my head was, not thinking that I would be here.
“So to be able to overcome all those challenges and say that I get a chance at the title Saturday… let alone being able to do that in my home country here, in my home Slam, it's perfect, really.”