{
  "id": 6674527,
  "title": "Aryna Sabalenka cruises past Jessica Pegula and into the U.S. Open final",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/aryna-sabalenka-cruises-past-jessica-pegula-and-into-the-u-s-open",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-11T00:46:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/aryna-sabalenka-cruises-past-jessica-004605531.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a dominant performance at the 2026 U.S. Open women's semifinals, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. This victory places Sabalenka in the final, where she would be seeking her third consecutive title in New York—an extraordinary accomplishment. The U.S. Open stands as the most challenging Grand Slam tournament to defend, typically occurring at a season's end when top players may be fatigued or injured. Sabalenka's recent struggles, however, seem to have vanished as she prepares for her third shot at a Grand Slam title this year. Throughout the match, Sabalenka exhibited remarkable composure, winning the first set with 11 straight breaks of serve and displaying strong forehand and serve techniques. Pegula attempted to counter with powerful flat shots, but her efforts were largely unsuccessful. In the second set, Sabalenka further solidified her lead, committing two errors to force Pegula's second double fault. The champion then confidently sealed the match, celebrating her return to the final stage in her beloved tennis city.",
  "summary": "The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 U.S. Open women’s semifinals NEW YORK — Aryna Sabalenka is headed back to the U.S. Open final. After beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on a dank, heavy night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Sabalenka is one win away from her third consecutive title in New York. That would be a remarkable achievement. The U.S. Open is the hardest Grand Slam to defend. It comes…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Gauff fights back to beat Andreeva and reach US Open semis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/gauff-fights-back-to-beat-andreeva-and-reach-us-open-semis",
        "published": "2026-09-09T20:50:44.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Gauff fights back to beat Andreeva and reach US Open semis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/gauff-fights-back-to-beat-andreeva-and-reach-us-open-semis-6489361",
        "published": "2026-09-09T22:08:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Pegula aiming to thwart Sabalenka three-peat in US Open semis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/pegula-aiming-to-thwart-sabalenka-three-peat-in-us-open-semis",
        "published": "2026-09-09T23:21:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Rybakina rallies to beat Gauff, book US Open final with Sabalenka",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/rybakina-rallies-to-beat-gauff-book-us-open-final-with-sabalenka",
        "published": "2026-09-11T03:47:43.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Japan Times",
        "title": "‘Desperate’ Sabalenka books U.S. Open title clash with Rybakina",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/desperate-sabalenka-books-u-s-open-title-clash-with-rybakina",
        "published": "2026-09-11T04:06:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}