The US Open semifinal win over Jessica Pegula came with an achievement for Aryna Sabalenka. She just surpassed Serena Williams in the Grand Slam win% vs. those in the WTA top 10. While Williams has a Grand Slam win percentage of 68.9%, Sabalenka has now pushed her numbers to 69.2%. There’s only one name ahead of her. And that’s Steffi Graf with 76.5% wins against top-10 opponents at Grand Slams to her name. A monumental achievement, indeed. Even more so if you consider how hard Pegula had made it for the Belarusian. 

During the post-match interview, Sabalenka expressed her honest opinion on her opponent. Claiming that it was a really tough match, she said, “She played incredible tennis as always. And I had to world really hard to get this win. And of course, I’m super happy to get the win against Jessica. She’s such a great player, great fighter. Always tough matches.”  

It’s worth noting that Sabalenka and Pegula had already fought 9 times prior to this. While the Belarusian won 7 of those encounters, interestingly, it was the winner of the first set that ended up taking the match on each of those 9 occasions. Naturally, things looked a bit troublesome for Sabalenka when the American won the first set 6-4. But then again, that was far from the only hurdle she came across during the match. 

Because of a storm brewing in the Erie basin Marina, there was a drizzle in Queens. And that forced the operators to close the roof of the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Now, this gave the heavy hitters an advantage. And as we all know, Sabalenka tries to spin her strikes, while Pegula pushes them flat. Yet, Sabalenka rose victorious with a final scoreline of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. But there’s one more record that Sabalenka can break in the US Open when she battles for the crown on Saturday.

Aryna Sabalenka opens up on her stance for the US Open final

Sabalenka had to fight off break-point after break-point in the third set. And that’s what got her the win over Pegula. When the reporter asked her the same during the post-match interview, she claimed, “I don’t know. I was just praying inside and hoping for the best.” And now that she’s a finalist, she can become the first woman in 11 years to win back-to-back US Open titles. 

Serena Williams was the last person to do so. She won three consecutive US Open titles from 2012 to 2014. So, what does Aryna Sabalenka think of that? “It means a lot. I’ll go out there on Saturday, right? We’re playing on Saturday. I’ll go out there on Saturday and I’ll fight for every point like the last point of my life,” the Belarusian star answered.  

But who will Sabalenka face in the finale? Will it be Naomi Osaka? Or will it be Amanda Anisimova? Whoever it may be, we’re all set for an exciting US Open final. And while that happens, don’t miss a beat from the ongoing 2025 US Open by visiting the EssentiallySports Live Blog!