U.S. Open 2024: Jessica Pegula vs Aryna Sabalenka Final Preview

Posted by author September 6, 2024 Tennis

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Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka last met at the final of the Cincinnati Open las month. (Photo by … [+] Frey/TPN/Getty Images)

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The U.S. Open women’s singles final will be held on Saturday, as Aryna Sabalenka faces Jessica Pegula in the title clash at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Second seed Sabalenka will be competing in her second straight U.S. Open final, having lost to champion Coco Gauff last year at Flushing Meadows.

Home favorite Pegula, on the other hand, will be playing in her first-ever Grand Slam final.

Personal Records

Sabalenka is the first woman to reach consecutive U.S. Open finals since Serena Williams did so in 2018 and 2019.

The hard-hitting Belarusian has reached all four hard-court Grand Slam finals during the last two seasons and is currently on a 11-match win streak.

The world no. 2 is one win away from becoming the first woman to win both hard-court Grand Slam titles in the same year since Angelique Kerber won the Australian Open and U.S. Open in 2016.

Aryna Sabalenka won her second straight Australian Open title earlier this year. (Photo by Julian … [+] Finney/Getty Images)

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At the age of 30, Pegula is the oldest American woman in the Open Era to make a maiden Grand Slam final. She is the third American woman aged 30 or over to make a U.S. Open final, joining Serena and Martina Navratilova.

Pegula is bidding for her first Grand Slam title and seventh career title overall. A champion this year in Berlin and Toronto, a win would bring home a third title this season.

Jessica Pegula celebrates her title victory in Toronto. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

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Head-To-Head Record

Sabalenka and Pegula have met seven times, with Sabalenka winning five of those encounters.

They last met at the Cincinnati Open, where Sabalenka defeated Pegula in the final, becoming the only person to beat her during this summer’s North American hard-court swing.

Pegula’s two wins over Sabalenka came at the first round of the WTA Finals in 2023 and the round of 16 at the Cincinnati Open in 2020, which was held in New York that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is the full list of their previous meetings:

2024 Cincinnati final: Sabalenka beat Pegula 6-3, 7-5
2023 WTA Finals Round 1: Pegula beat Sabalenka 6-4, 6-3
2022 WTA Finals Round 1: Sabalenka beat Pegula 6-3, 7-5
2022 Rome Round of 16: Sabalenka beat Pegula 6-1, 6-4
2021 Madrid Round of 16: Sabalenka beat Pegula 6-1, 6-2
2020 French Open Round 1: Sabalenka beat Pegula 6-3, 6-1
2020 Cincinnati (NYC) Round of 16: Pegula beat Sabalenka 6-2, 2-6, 6-3

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How did Sabalenka and Pegula reach the final?

Sabalenka dropped only one set enroute to the U.S. Open final.

First round: Won against Priscilla Hon 6-3, 6-3
Second round: Won against Lucia Bronzetti 6-3, 6-1
Third round: Won against Ekaterina Alexandrova 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
Round of 16: Won against Elise Martens 6-2, 6-4
Quarterfinal: Won against Qinwen Zheng 6-1, 6-2
Semifinal: Won against Emma Navarro 6-3, 7-6(2)

Like Sabalenka, Pegula too, has dropped only one set at the tournament. The American also pulled off a huge upset when she knocked out world no. 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.

First round: Won against Shelby Rogers 6-4, 6-3
Second round: Won against Sofia Kenin 7-6(4), 6-3
Third round: Won against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-3, 6-3
Round of 16: Won against Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-2
Quarterfinal: Won against Iga Swiatek 6-2, 6-4
Semifinal: Won against Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-4, 6-2