Aryna Sabalenka on the brink of history after reaching fourth consecutive US Open final

Aryna Sabalenka is just one match away from etching her name into tennis history after reaching her fourth consecutive US Open final. The defending champion edged out third-seeded American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in a match that saw the Belarusian overcome an edgy start.

Sabalenka's victory avenged her earlier semi-final loss to Pegula at the Berlin tournament and sets up a championship clash with fellow Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina. If Sabalenka claims the title on Saturday, she will become the first woman since Serena Williams to win three straight US Open titles and only the third player in the Open Era, alongside Williams and Chris Evert, to achieve this feat.

The top seed had to battle through her frustration, hitting seven aces and 29 winners to overwhelm Pegula from the baseline. Pegula briefly threatened to disrupt Sabalenka's rhythm, saving an early break point with a powerful forehand and holding her ground despite the Belarusian's frustration boiling over. However, Sabalenka responded with a strategic double fault and a decisive performance to seal the match.

Meanwhile, Rybakina delivered a stunning comeback to defeat Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and advance to her third Grand Slam final. Gauff had taken an early lead, using her defensive skills to frustrate the Kazakh and break in the sixth game. But Rybakina steadied herself, capitalizing on a series of errors from the fourth-seeded American to level the score and then seal the win.