Aryna Sabalenka beats Jessica Pegula in two sets to win the U.S. Open

Aryna Sabalenka got past Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in a rollicking U.S. Open women's final Saturday to win her first championship at Flushing Meadows and third Grand Slam title of her career.

Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus, adds this trophy to the two she earned at the Australian Open each of the past two seasons, also on hard courts. And the victory allowed her to leave Arthur Ashe Stadium in a far better mood than when she was the runner-up to Coco Gauff at the 2023 U.S. Open.

Pegula, a native New Yorker whose parents own the NFL's Buffalo Bills and NHL's Buffalo Sabres, was participating in a major final for the first time. She's won 15 of her past 17 matches over the past month but both losses came against Sabalenka in tournament finals.