Sabalenka and Pegula in the final of the US Open tennis

The American Jessica Pegula has fought hard to reach the final of the US Open for the first time and is challenging top favorite Aryna Sabalenka. After a disastrous start, Pegula beat the Czech Karolina Muchova 1:6, 6:4, 6:2 and will play the most important match of her career on Saturday. Sabalenka, number two in the world tennis rankings, from Belarus defeated Emma Navarro 6:3, 7:6(7:2) in 90 minutes and, like last year, reached the final in New York.

On her own serve, the 30-year-old Pegula was already 1:6, 0:2 and 30:40 behind. However, the world number six fought her way back into the now high-class game brilliantly, turned the party around and celebrated the victory after 2 hours and 12 minutes. “I wanted to burst into tears. It was so embarrassing because she destroyed me,” she said of the start of the party. “I don’t know how I managed to turn this game around.”

Her siblings and her father Terrence were cheering her on in the stands. The 73-year-old made his billion-dollar fortune in oil and gas, is one of the 400 richest people in the world according to Forbes magazine, and owns a sports empire with the NFL team Buffalo Bills and the NHL team Buffalo Sabres. “I’m so happy that I can share this moment with you,” Jessica Pegula said to her family.

Sabalenka will face an American in the final, as she did in 2023. Back then, she lost to crowd favorite Coco Gauff in three sets. The Belarusian is in a Grand Slam final for the fourth time and has won the Australian Open twice.

Unlike her defeat in the final a year ago, Sabalenka was unimpressed by the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium, which was mostly cheering on the American outsider Navarro, until shortly before the end of her party. With the score at 5:4 in the second set, she served to win the match, but was still shaky. In the tie-break, however, Sabalenka showed her extra class and nerves of steel and sealed the victory with a thunderous overhead shot.

“Now you’re cheering for me, that’s a bit late,” she said jokingly to the cheering fans after the victory. “Even though you were cheering her on, I had goosebumps, it was an incredible atmosphere. She played brilliantly and I’m really happy to have made it through this difficult semifinal.” Navarro made it into the top four at a Grand Slam for the first time and also defeated defending champion Gauff in New York.