Aryna Sabalenka secured the US Open title and her third Grand Slam championship with a dramatic win over Jessica Pegula in a thrilling final on Saturday.

The world number two, Sabalenka, emerged victorious with scores of 7-5, 7-5, adding the New York title to her back-to-back Australian Open victories.

Pegula fought valiantly, recovering from a 0-3 deficit and break point down to take a 5-3 lead in the second set before Sabalenka came back to claim victory.

The 26-year-old Belarusian struck 40 winners to become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to win both hardcourt majors in the same season.

Sabalenka, who lost to Coco Gauff in the 2023 US Open final, initially struggled on Saturday, making several errors that gave Pegula an early break for a 2-1 lead. However, Sabalenka quickly leveled the score and broke again to lead 4-2.

The match was watched by a full capacity crowd of 23,000, including notable figures like Olympic 100m gold medalist Noah Lyles, NBA star Steph Curry, and former Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton. While most spectators supported Pegula, she could not withstand the relentless power of Sabalenka, whose intensity echoed through the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Pegula, who had previously defeated world number one Iga Swiatek and fought back from a set and break down to beat Karolina Muchova in the semifinals, managed to level the second set at 5-5 after initially trailing 2-5. Despite saving four set points, Pegula could not prevent Sabalenka from securing the set on the fifth attempt.

In the opening set, Sabalenka hit 25 winners and made 23 unforced errors, while Pegula recorded nine winners and 11 errors, highlighting the contrasting playing styles.

For the second match in a row, Pegula fell behind by a set and a break, with a double fault giving Sabalenka a 3-0 lead. Pegula fought back to lead 5-3, but Sabalenka broke her serve again in the 10th game as Pegula attempted to even the score.

Sabalenka held her composure and sealed the win when Pegula’s final shot went long, securing her place as a Grand Slam champion once more.