Aryna Sabalenka could have been described as wanting US Open success too much, given how close she’d come to the title, and how many near misses she’d endured.
She led in both of her semifinals in 2021 and 2022, only to fall to Leylah Fernandez and Iga Swiatek respectively – from 4-2 up in the third set against the latter.
In last year’s final, she led Coco Gauff by a set before the parochial crowd roared the American teenager onto a three-set victory.
“I'm still hoping to hold that beautiful trophy,” Sabalenka said after beating Emma Navarro to return to the final in 2024.
There, she faced another American in Jessica Pegula. Again, leads were built, and leads evaporated.
But this time, she remained more stable and calm, and finally became a US Open champion.
“I thought that I will be thinking a lot about previous years here, because I had a lot of tough lessons here, the US Open, very difficult one, I would say, especially the last year,” Sabalenka said after beating Pegula 7-5 7-5.
“Honestly, today I just keep reminding myself that this is the US Open final, of course she's going to fight really hard for it and it's not going to be easy, and I have to work really hard to get it.
“In those tough moments, I was just, like, trying to stay strong and trying to remind myself that I have been through a lot and I'm strong enough to hold under this pressure.”
This was a compelling final, and a fitting match-up, featuring the two best performers of the North American hard-court season. This was the first US Open women’s final between the reigning Canada and Cincinnati champions since 2013.
Grand Slam giant
Pegula had triumphed in Toronto, before Sabalenka won Cincinnati, beating Pegula for that title. And it was the same result in New York, one cementing Sabalenka’s growing status as the strongest Grand Slam performer among women.
She finished with a glittering record of 18-1 at the majors in 2024, equalling Jasmine Paolini for the highest number of wins, but with a superior winning percentage of 94.7%.
Had illness not afflicted her at Roland Garros, and injury not ruled her out of Wimbledon, who knows what she could have done there, too?
For now, she’s the clear front-runner at the hard-court majors, having won three of the past four, including back-to-back Australian Opens.
She becomes just the second woman this century, after Angelique Kerber eight years ago, to scoop the Australian and US Open titles in the same season.
Since the AO became a hard-court tournament in 1988, only three other women – WTA legends Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis – have also done this.
Among active players, only Venus Williams, Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka own more major titles than Sabalenka, and only Osaka has won more Slams on hard courts.
“After I lost my father, it's always been my goal to put our family name in the history of tennis,” Sabalenka revealed.
“Every time I see my name on that trophy, I'm so proud of myself, I'm proud of my family that they never gave up on my dream and that they were doing everything they could to keep me going.
“So I had this opportunity in life. So it really means a lot. I still kind of cannot believe that I was able to achieve, like me with my team, we were able to achieve so much already.
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“I faced a lot of challenges on and off the court. The difficult one was also, like, being injured and not able to play Wimbledon. It was new experience for me.
“It's also very special place here, the US Open… no matter what, every time I was coming back stronger, and I was learning.
“I never gave up on this dream, and yeah, it means a lot.”
A compelling final
Sabalenka’s ferocious ball-striking, perfectly suited to Flushing Meadows’ quick hard courts, saw her finish the tournament with more winners than any other woman. She also struck the most winners of any woman across the four majors in 2024.
On Saturday she pounded 40 past Pegula – who managed only 17 herself – including six aces, and feasted on the American’s second serve, winning almost 80 per cent of those points. Sabalenka’s all-court attack also saw her approach the net 23 times, winning 18 of those trips forward.
Still, this was a taut battle of momentum swings that did not entirely reflect the stat sheet.
Sabalenka led 5-2 in the first set – she ultimately required five set points – and by 3-0 in the second. Each time, Pegula dug in and frustrated the world No.2 with her consistency, depth and anticipation.
You could see Sabalenka’s impatience reflected in her temptation to end points too quickly with a clean winner, leading to unforced errors. But unlike previous years in New York, where her game unravelled with those errors, she pulled it together each time.
After losing five straight games in the second set, Sabalenka wrenched back control, winning four consecutive games of her own to seal victory in a touch under two hours.
“So many things was going through my mind,” Sabalenka said, recalling the moment she collapsed on her back in celebration.
“The first one was that, all those tough losses in the past, and I was just, like, so proud of myself and proud of my team that no matter what, we were able to come back stronger and come back with the better tennis.
“And now finally we are having this beautiful trophy. Yeah, I mean, I don't know how to describe that feeling. You're crying, you're laughing… you feel all these emotions at the same time.
“That's the best feeling. I really wish everyone could or can experience that.”