Aryna Sabalenka out to deny challenging Jessica Pegula the one thing thats eluded her in rivalry at US Open

Aryna Sabalenka said it herself shortly after advancing to the semifinals of the U.S.Open for a sixth straight year: Jessica Pegula has upped her game recently.The No.

1 seed knows she has fallen victim to that development in recent years, but now Pegula is the last obstacle the Belarusian must clear to get her shot at completing the first three-peat in Flushing in 12 years.After winning eight of their first 10 meetings, Sabalenka has lost to Pegula in two of their past three matches.“Jessica [is a] really challenging player to play against,” Sabalenka said candidly in her postmatch news conference Tuesday.“I can say that she really improved a lot in [the] last couple of years, improved her game, really putting me under so much pressure.

But I’m loving playing against her, because it’s a battle, because it’s a fight, and I love being under pressure and going through tough challenges.“So playing against her, it’s going to be a really high-intensity level of tennis.”It’s true, Pegula has added variety to her game, improved her serve and learned how to optimize her physical freshness the past few years.The one thing she has yet to do, however, is beat Sabalenka on a Grand Slam stage.Sabalenka holds a 3-0 record against Pegula in Grand Slam matches, winning two in straight sets.That includes the 28-year-old’s 7-5, 7-5 victory over Pegula in the 2024 U.S.

Open final.“She’s gotten me here the last couple of years,” said Pegula, who also lost to Sabalenka last year in the semifinals of the U.S.Open.

“I have been able to beat her a few times, maybe on a smaller stage, so I think that’s going to be kind of a hurdle for me to get over.But at the same time, I think it’s fun.“We’ve challenged each other.

I know that she’s definitely pushed me to become a better player, so I always respect and appreciate that aspect of our rivalry.”Still searching for her first Grand Slam title, Pegula is in the midst of one of the most successful m...