Grand Slam semifinals used to be Aryna Sabalenka’s stumbling block, but not anymore.
The world No.1 defeated Jessica Pegula in a pulsating US Open women’s semifinal on Thursday night, sealing her place in yet another Grand Slam final with a forehand winner and an almighty roar.
The 4-6 6-3 6-4 win – a 2024 US Open final rematch of incredible quality and drama – sends the defending champion into her sixth consecutive hardcourt Grand Slam final, and third major final of 2025.
“I think I really played great tennis. I think I handled that pressure really well. I'm super proud of this win,” said Sabalenka, pushed to the limit by Pegula before serving out the final game on her third match point.
“I'm super excited to give myself another opportunity, another final. If I'll be able to hold that trophy, it's going to mean a lot for me.
“I'll be just the happiest person on earth probably.”
Sabalenka reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon in 2021, and would lose five of her first six – all of those losses coming in three sets. One was from a break up in the third set at the 2022 US Open to eventual champion Iga Swiatek.
But the following year in New York, Sabalenka returned to the semifinals and found herself trailing 6-0 5-3 against Madison Keys – a match she would go on to win. The result completely flipped her trajectory in major semifinals, and she has since won six of her past seven.
She will now feature in her seventh Grand Slam final after a performance to which Pegula could only tip her hat.
“If she's going to come out, and I was hitting some good returns, and she's going to blast first-ball winners, literally some of them on the line, I don't know what I'm supposed to do about that,” said Pegula, who watched 43 winners fly past her.
“It's too good. That's how she plays. She plays really fearless. That works for her. I don't think I play like that. I don't think some other players play like that.
“I'm happy to walk away with putting in the effort that I was able to put in tonight against the best player in the world right now.”
Sabalenka may have overcome her semifinal block, but lately, the trouble has been winning major finals. She has already fallen in two this year, to Keys at the Australian Open and Coco Gauff at Roland Garros.
She is guaranteed to remain at world No.1 whatever happens from here at the US Open, but her position at the top would truly be solidified with a Slam title in 2025.
“It's very important tournament for me. Last Slam of the year. I learned a lot of tough lessons this season on the Grand Slams,” Sabalenka said before the tournament. “Of course ideally I would love the finish the season with a Grand Slam and world No.1.”
Regardless of what transpires on Saturday, Sabalenka insists her season has been an incredible success. And it has – the US Open marks her eighth final of the season, and she’ll be targeting a fourth title. She’s already won 55 matches and is No.1 in both the rankings and the points race to the WTA Finals, for which she has already qualified.
Those numbers can improve with victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday, and if we revisit those past seven Grand Slam semifinals we referenced earlier, there’s a lesson to be learned in the only one she lost.
That came at Wimbledon less than two months ago to Amanda Anisimova, whom Sabalenka will face in the US Open decider.
“I felt like in that match at Wimby, I was doubting a lot my decisions, and that was the main thing that was bringing a lot of unforced errors," said Sabalenka, bidding to become the first woman since Serena Williams 11 years ago to defend a US Open singles title.
“Of course, she played incredible tennis, but I feel like I had my opportunities. I didn't use them, and I feel like the key for me going to be just go out there, obviously fight, but trust my decisions and go after my shots.”
It’s what she did against Pegula on Thursday night, and she’ll be hoping to maintain that mindset in her last Grand Slam match of the year.
“I badly wanted to give myself another opportunity, another final,” she said, “and I want to prove to myself that I learned those tough lessons and I can do better in the finals.”