“Jessica Pegula vs. Aryna Sabalenka: Epic Showdown at the US Open Final – Who Will Make History? Head-to-Head, Tournament Recap, and Bold Predictions!”

Aryna Sabalenka is determined to claim her first US Open title when she faces in-form American Jessica Pegula in Saturday’s final at Flushing Meadows.

 

Pegula, who impressively halted Karolina Muchova’s rise, secured her spot in her maiden Grand Slam final. Down 6-1, 2-0 against Muchova in the semi-final, Pegula staged a remarkable comeback to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, capitalizing on her opponent’s drop in form. Though her streak of winning all sets before the semi-final ended, Pegula’s performance this summer, with 15 wins in her last 16 matches, has been outstanding.

 

As the oldest American woman in the Open Era to reach her first Grand Slam final at 30, Pegula looks to make history by joining Serena Williams and Martina Navratilova as the only 30-year-olds or older to compete for the US Open title. Her path to the final included a landmark quarter-final victory over world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, breaking her 0-6 record in Grand Slam quarter-finals. To capture her first Major, Pegula would need to defeat both the top-ranked Swiatek and Sabalenka, becoming the first woman since 2009 to win a Grand Slam after beating the top two players in the world.

 

Pegula can take inspiration from Coco Gauff’s comeback win over Sabalenka in last year’s final, as she faces one of the WTA Tour’s best hard-court players. Sabalenka, a two-time Grand Slam champion and runner-up at the 2023 US Open, is aiming for her third Major title. Known for her dominance on hard courts, Sabalenka has won 26 of her last 27 matches on the surface since 2023, her only loss being the 2023 final against Gauff.

 

Like Pegula, Sabalenka has dropped only one set on her way to the final, coming back to defeat Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round. She is aiming to become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to win both the Australian Open and the US Open in the same season, a feat achieved by just four players in the Open Era.

 

Sabalenka and Pegula have faced each other seven times, with Sabalenka leading 5-2. Their most recent clash was in the Cincinnati final in 2024, where Sabalenka won 6-3, 7-5. However, Pegula’s last win against Sabalenka came in the 2022 WTA Finals, adding motivation for the American as she prepares for the biggest match of her career.

 

### Tournament Run:

**Jessica Pegula:**

– 1st round: def. Shelby Rogers 6-4, 6-3

– 2nd round: def. Sofia Kenin 7-6(4), 6-3

– 3rd round: def. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-3, 6-3

– Round of 16: def. Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-2

– Quarter-final: def. Iga Swiatek 6-2, 6-4

– Semi-final: def. Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-4, 6-2

 

**Aryna Sabalenka:**

– 1st round: def. Priscilla Hon 6-3, 6-3

– 2nd round: def. Lucia Bronzetti 6-3, 6-1

– 3rd round: def. Ekaterina Alexandrova 2-6, 6-1, 6-2

– Round of 16: def. Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-4

– Quarter-final: def. Qinwen Zheng 6-1, 6-2

– Semi-final: def. Emma Navarro 6-3, 7-6(2)

 

Sabalenka’s consistency and power will be a significant challenge for Pegula, but the American’s impressive summer and recent victories give her the belief that she can claim her first Grand Slam title.