Aryna Sabalenka won her third career Grand Slam singles title, defeating American Jessica Pegula in straight sets (7-5, 7-5) to capture the U.S. Open championship in New York City on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Sabalenka won a trio of major tournaments in the past 20 months, following back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2023 and this year.
Hoisting the Tiffany-designed cup after it was handed to her by fellow champion and legend Billy Jean King, the moment in Flushing brought a joyful end to Sabalenka’s tumultuous and emotionally draining 2024 season.
“Finally, I got this beautiful trophy,” she said.
A never-give-up attitude got her to the moment, Sabalenka told commentator and announcer Mary Joe Fernández after the match.
“If you’re really working hard and you’re sacrificing everything for your dream, you’re going to get it one day,” Sabalenka said. “I’m super proud of myself.”
For Pegula, an unexpected finalist, the experience at Arthur Ashe Stadium wasn’t a total letdown. She expressed gratitude after the match, saying, “To be able to be standing here in my first Grand Slam final, I’m grateful.”
Two months after capturing her second consecutive Australian Open title, Sabalenka’s former boyfriend and one-time NHL player Konstantin Koltsov died by suicide near Miami.
Immediately after his death, Koltsov was identified as Sabalenka’s boyfriend, but the tennis player later revealed the pair had quietly separated prior to his passing.
Illness and injuries played roles in Sabalenka’s exits at this year’s French Open, Berlin Ladies Open and Wimbledon.
Sabalenka, a native of Minsk, Belarus, played this year without a country to her name. While everyone else has a native land flag next to their names in official listings, Sabalenka has a blank space by hers due to Minsk’s ongoing support of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
The world No. 2 Sabalenka’s win on Saturday denied Pegula what could have been her first Grand Slam title.
Sabalenka overpowered the American, who tried her best to keep up by playing above her normal pace.
Pegula at one point was up 5-3 in the second set after being down 3-0, but Sabalenka toughed it out, trading break point winds with the American by hitting hard ground strokes, cannon fire serves, and key winners.
“Each player plays better when they’re behind,” Chris Evert said from ESPN’s commentators’ booth.
With a series of knockout serves, including a 118 mph strike, Sabalenka soon found herself up 6-5 and was able to win the second break point and second championship point of the last game, with Pegula serving, to clinch the title.
The final score may betray the possibility the seesaw of a final could have gone either way. After the match, Sabalenka credited her opponent for never willfully giving up ground during the match.
“You’re showing some amazing tennis,” Sabalenka told the American.
This was the first Grand Slam final for the 30-year-old Pegula, whose family owns the Buffalo Bills football team and Sabres hockey team. She had previously reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon (2023) and the French (2022) and Australian opens (2021-23).
Pegula reached the title match about 48 hours after rallying to a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 semifinal triumph against Czech opponent Karolina Muchova.
Pegula’s father is energy billionaire Terry Pegula, 73, who has an estimated worth of $7.7 billion and is the world’s 403rd richest man, according to Forbes.
Despite her family’s extreme wealth, Pegula won over New York City fans with her insistence on taking the subway from Manhattan to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
