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.

Sabalenka will each earn a $3.6 million check — a 20% bump from the $3 million winners earned in 2023.  All four semifinalists in both singles draws will get $1 million a piece. Notably, this year marks the 50th anniversary of male and female players earning equal prize money at the tournament.

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. Pegula will get $1.8 million this year as the runner-up, according to official figures from the Queens, New York, tournament.