The US Open 2024 women’s tennis final will pit American Jessica Pegula, world number 6, against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, number 2 in the WTA rankings, after their respective victories, on Thursday, September 5, over Karolina Muchova and Emma Navarro.
Jessica Pegula, 30, who will be playing in her first Grand Slam final in front of her home crowd, will appear as an outsider against the woman who has already won twice at major tournaments. Winner of the Australian Open in 2023 and earlier this year, Aryna Sabalenka will have the opportunity on Saturday to become the first player to win both major tournaments on hard courts in the same season since Germany’s Angelique Kerber in 2016.
After the elimination in the quarter-finals of the world number 1, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka was the only player entered in the semi-finals who had the experience of a Grand Slam crown, and she proved it against the American Emma Navarro, a novice at this level of competition, for a 6-3, 7-6 (2) success.
The 26-year-old dominated her 12-year-old opponent.my world by separating her from her first engagement in the first round. Emma Navarro, 23, immediately took the Belarusian’s serve before being subjected to her powerful and deep shots. With another break at 4-2, Aryna Sabalenka was able to finish the first round with ease.
Leading 5-3 in the second set, the Belarusian saw Emma Navarro suddenly raise her level, more aggressive on the return and finding uncomfortable angles. The American, one of the revelations of the season with a round of 16 at Roland-Garros and quarter-finals at Wimbledon, who will enter the Top 10 on Monday (8my), thus pushing her opponent into the tie-break. Aryna Sabalenka first committed a double fault (0-2), before showing great form, with increasingly strong shots, accompanied by well-felt drop shots.
“At the end of the second set I got a little emotional, it reminded me of moments from last year’s final, the encouragement of the public. [pour son adversaire américaine] »she explained, referring to her lost title fight against Coco Gauff. “I worked a lot on my mood during the matches, I improved my calmness in key moments”she developed it further.
Jessica Pegula has come a long way
Aryna Sabalenka will probably have the public against her again in the final against Jessica Pegula, who fought to eliminate the Czech Karolina Muchova (52my) in the other semi-final by 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.
The 30-year-old, in her first Grand Slam semi-final, was outclassed for the first time by Roland-Garros 2023 finalist Karolina Muchova during a first set in which the Czech’s varied play was exceptional. “He started playing incredibly, he made me look like a beginner, he destroyed me”Jessica Pegula admitted into the stadium microphone.
The match changed when Karolina Muchova, who returned in June after a ten-month absence due to injury, missed a double break point at 2-0 in the second set, on a volley that had won all its points during its path to the net in the first set. Jessica Pegula looked increasingly solid from the baseline, not leaving much freedom to her opponent, to finally turn the match around.
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“I finally started to find my way and by the end of the second set I started to play the way I wanted to.”She explained, confirming her fine form, having won fifteen of her last sixteen matches. Her only defeat came in the final of the Cincinnati tournament in mid-August against… Aryna Sabalenka, who leads 5-2 in their head-to-heads.
