Aryna Sabalenka keeps three-peat bid alive with Pegula win
Aryna Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on Thursday night to reach the US Open final and keep her bid for a third straight title at Flushing Meadows alive. Sabalenka, the No. 1 player during this US Open 2026 run, will face Elena Rybakina in the final.
The live US Open final coverage lists Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina in the women’s singles final and gives a 9pm BST start reference. It also frames the matchup as a reunion of finalists resuming an epic rivalry after a switch at No. 1.
Latest verified Sabalenka checkpoints
| Round | Opponent | Score | Key detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third round | Polina Iatcenko | 6-1, 6-1 | Won in 53 minutes in a power-hitting display that sent Sabalenka into the third round |
| Quarterfinal | Linda Noskova | 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) | Tightest verified test of the run and a result that kept her alive for a third straight US Open title |
| Semifinal | Jessica Pegula | 7-5, 6-2 | Thursday night win that put Sabalenka into the US Open final with a chance to win a third straight title at Flushing Meadows |
How the run built toward the final
The Pegula semifinal was the cleanest statement of the run’s closing stretch. Sabalenka controlled the result 7-5, 6-2, and the win carried her into the final with the three-peat still on the table.
Before that came the hardest test of the tournament path so far, the quarterfinal against Linda Noskova. Sabalenka had to come through 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7), a scoreline that showed how thin the margin was while still keeping her championship chase alive.
The earlier checkpoint against Polina Iatcenko was a different kind of message. Sabalenka won 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes, and the US Open’s live coverage described it as a power-hitting display that sent her into the third round.
That sequence matters because it shows the run changing shape without losing momentum. First came the dominant start, then the narrow escape, then the controlled semifinal that pushed Sabalenka one match from a third straight title.
Final checkpoint
| Match | Status | Verified detail |
|---|---|---|
| Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina | Women’s singles final | Live US Open final coverage lists this matchup and gives a 9pm BST start reference |
| Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina | Finalists | The live US Open final coverage describes them as finalists resuming an epic rivalry after a switch at No. 1 |
Final setup
Sabalenka’s US Open 2026 path has been built on three verified scorelines: the 6-1, 6-1 dismissal of Iatcenko, the tense Noskova escape, and the 7-5, 6-2 semifinal over Pegula. That sequence is why the final against Rybakina now carries a simple edge: one more win completes the three-peat at Flushing Meadows.