Aryna Sabalenka showcased her formidable power and precision to defeat American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-5 and win the Cincinnati Open on Monday.
This victory marks Sabalenka’s sixth WTA 1000 title and sends a strong message ahead of the upcoming U.S. Open. Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, dominated the match with her powerful serve, dropping only nine points on serve and delivering 10 aces.
Despite some late jitters in the second set, she maintained control throughout the match. Pegula, who had been in excellent form after winning the Toronto Open earlier this month, struggled with her serve, committing five double faults. Her nine-match winning streak came to an end as she couldn’t withstand Sabalenka’s relentless pressure.
“I want to thank my team — we’ve been through a lot but we never stopped working, never stopped improving ourselves and I’m really happy to have you by my side,” Sabalenka said during her on-court interview after the match.
The Belarusian secured the first break in the fourth game when Pegula netted a forehand, and she quickly built on that momentum to take the first set. In the second set, Sabalenka broke Pegula’s serve in the opening game with a series of powerful forehands. Although she faltered briefly, allowing Pegula a break point in the 10th game, Sabalenka quickly regained her composure, breaking back immediately and sealing the victory.
With this win, Sabalenka will rise to number two in the rankings, solidifying her status as a top contender for the U.S. Open. She cruised through the Cincinnati tournament without dropping a set, including a victory over world number one Iga Swiatek, positioning herself as one of the favourites in New York after finishing as runner-up last year.
Sabalenka’s dominant performance in Cincinnati underscores her readiness to challenge for the year’s final Grand Slam title.