Cincinnati Masters
Sabalenka wins Open title for Grand Slam hat-trick
Aryna Sabalenka completed a Grand Slam title hat-trick on Saturday as she fought from 5-3 down in the final set to win the US Open final over Jessica Pegula.
The second seed wrapped up a 7-5, 7-5 victory to add the New York title to her pair of Australian Open honours earned this season and last.
Victory also erased any memories of her loss in the final here a year ago to Coco Gauff; American women have now lost the last two finals at Flushing Meadows,
Sabalenka, who ended with 40 winners, collapsed on her back on the court as Pegula sent a lob long on second match point as she won against a decidedly pro-Pegula crowd who occasionally jeered her errors.
With tears of joy streaming down her face, she scrambled into the stands to greet her player box.
“I’m speechless, so many many times I thought (last year) I was close to the title – now I’ve got it,” the 26-year-old said. “This has been a dream of mine.
In the second set I was really praying for this win. I’m super-proud of myself and proud of my team. We were finally able to get this beautiful trophy.
“I heard a lot of support from the crowd. I expected you guys to cheer for Jessica- if you had cheered for me it would not be normal.”
The 61-minute opening set was a scrappy affair, with Sabalenka at times forced to battle a pro-Pegula crowd as well as her opponent.
The pair traded nervous breaks in the third and fourth games before Sabalenka took a 4-2 lead, eventually stretching to 5-2.
But upstate New Yorker Pegula fought back with a break for 4-5 and levelled a five apiece a game later.
It took a huge effort for Sabalenka to close out the opener, holding over four deuces in an eight-minute game for a 6-5 lead.
Pegula put up a huge fight a game later, saving four Sabalenka set points before double-faulting to set up a fifth and netting a return as she ran for a drop shot to trail.
The second set produced even more, with the 30-year-old Pegula broken while serving to stay alive serving for the second set.
Sabalenka held for 6-5 and completed victory with another break in the final game after just under two hours.
Both players entered the final with a WTA-best 15 wins over the summer hardcourt season. Pegula’s lone loss was to Sabalenka at last month’s Cincinnati final.
Sabalenka has now won her last dozen matches and owns 50 hardcourt Grand Slam wins from 61 matches played.
Pegula, who put out No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals, was still pleased with her effort this north American season after winning the Montreal title and facing Sabalenka three weeks ago in the Cincy final.
“It’s been an incredible month for me after a rough start (injury) this year. But I was able to turn it around.
“I played a Grand Slam final coming off a hot summer. I didn’t expect this. But i do wish I could have won at least a set.
“Aryna is the best hardcourt player in the world; she’s super-powerful, goes for shots and can take the racquet out of your hand.
“I’m happy I was able to fight back but in the end it wasn’t enough. But I still gave myself opportunities.”
World No. 2 Jannik Sinner became the youngest man to complete the full set of hard-court victories by beating Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (8) 7-6 (7) in the searing heat of Indian Wells.
The 24 year old Italian, didn’t face a break point during the final nor did he drop a set on his way to claiming his first title of the year and his 25th overall.
Sinner has won both hard court Grand Slams, with victories at the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025 and at the US Open in 2024.
In addition he has lifted all six Masters 1000 series hard court titles – adding the Indian Wells title to victories in Miami, Toronto, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris plus the season-ending ATP Finals.
Only Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have achieved the same feat.
Main photo:- Jannik Sinner lifts Indian Wells Trophy – by ATPTour.com
Felix Auger-Aliassime bounced back after a slow start, with the Canadian raiding his game along with his expectations on Wednesday at the ATP Dubai event.
The top seed survived the loss of his opening serve to prevail 6-4, 6-4 over France’s Giovanni Mpetschi Perricard.
Victory marked the 10th quarter-final or higher at 11 tournament for FAA dating to Cincinnati last August.
The seed’s game is on the mend after a hiccup in the form of an Australian Open first-round loss, with FAA winning the Montpellier title and reaching this month’s Rotterdam final against Alex de Minaur.
Auger-Aliassime said that he tries to set an example to his team by way of keeping his tennis standards high.
“I’m responsible, I’m the one stepping onto the court – I’m the (support) team leader.
“I need to uphold the standards I want for my career.”
The winner who broke three times, said the ball reacted differently as he played for the first time in the afternoon.
“I couldn’t find my serve in the first few games, I needed to get some rhythm. he also made it difficult for me. I’m glad I was able to find a way back into the set.
The Canadian No. 1 improved his record against French opponents to 15-1 since the start of 2025.
The ATP has bowed to the inevitability of weather, with a new heat rule for men’s matches due to be put into place for the start of the 2026 season.
While the WTA has long provided a pause after the second set of matches played in extreme hot weather, that’ not been the general case for the men.
Now, players will get a break when temps and humidity factors reach 30.1 C (86.18 F) or higher in the first two sets of a best-of-three-setter.
That triggers a 10-minute cooling break which can be called by either payer and which will apply to both. Competitors can use the brief pause to hydrate, change clothes, shower and receive coaching.
Should the heat exceed 32.2 C the match is called off.
.The new policy will replace the previous system where ATP tournament supervisors made the call with input from on-site medical staff.
The ATP will now fall into line with the WTA system as well as that of the four Grand Slams.
The tipping point came last season, when Jannik Sinner had to quit his third-round October match in Shanghai due to heat exhaustion in admittedly freak conditions for China in the autumn.
Novak Djokovic vomited during a match while France’s Ugo Humbert said players could “die on court” due to the torrid conditions. At the August Masters in steamy Cincinnati, Arthur Rinderknech collapsed on court, another data point which apparently led to the policy change
Main photo US Open New York 06/09/2023 Daniil Medvedev cools down
Photo Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
.
Sun shines as Zverev reaches Munich quarters
RG to retain the human touch in linecalling
Red alert for Alcaraz as wrist injury flares
-
ATP4 weeks agoFrench Tennis Federation release Roland Garros 2026 poster by JR
-
ATP4 weeks agoFonseca to provide a tough start for Alcaraz
-
ATP4 weeks agoSinner makes a move as No. 1 race tightens
-
ATP4 weeks agoAlcaraz re-establishes seeded superiority over Fonseca
-
ATP4 weeks ago
Sinner storms into 3rd round in rainy Miami
-
Indian wells4 weeks agoSabalenka secures 7th straight win on US hardcourt
-
ATP4 weeks agoKorda topples Alcaraz in monster Miami win
-
Miami Open4 weeks agoRetirement ends upset dreams for UK spolier Jones