Jessica Pegula vs. Aryna Sabalenka Condensed Match | 2024 US Open Final

Jess you're about to play the biggest match in your career how are you managing the nerves and excitement as you go play your first major singles final yeah I mean I feel like feel pretty good today um I guess I'm just trying to to not shy away from the emotions but kind of just let it all SN over me and then go out there and try and play some good tennis you played Arena just a few weeks ago in a tough Final in Cincinnati what adjustments do you need to make today to counter her powerful game H I mean I don't know sometimes there's not much you can do I felt like that in ciny um she was serving really well but I think maybe focus on um you know my first serve percentage really staying up there and then just trying to do as much as I can on the return games have fun out there best of luck yeah thank you Arena through six matches you've only dropped one set can you describe how you are playing in the level of confidence that you have going into this year's final yeah I mean I definitely have a lot of belief that I can do a little bit better than I did last year and um I'm really happy with the level I played throughout the whole tournament and I really hope that I can keep the level even better you beat Jess in a tough Final in Cincinnati just three weeks ago what are the most challenging aspects of her game yeah she's playing some great tennis and um uh very aggressive flat deep balls and um really great serving so moving while so she's a challenging player to play and um I'm really looking forward for this battle good luck thank you love [Applause] 15 one thing pula's got to focus on early is just getting her energy level Thursday morning feeling a bit ill and it showed in that first set no you [Applause] all three big strikes and it's game point for sabala and every time she hit a bomb they clap for her which is what she wants today she would give a short smile I don't give it a a whirl I know you like to play matches but yeah you might be surprised how it could help you SAA has won two doubles titles as well as her two singles titles I'm only going after the singles she won the doubles with Mertens here on winning singles titles [Applause] but has definitely changed records here let's see if she makes any kind of adjustment she's always been a returner that likes to be on the Baseline but been tough for her in this matchup [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] great this championship match goes to the 30-year-old New Yorker [Applause] sealink was serving for the match but she knows it's a challenge for herself to hold serve every time because of ground strokes like that 18 you can tell that she's being overwhelmed in that moment exactly right Andrea not the women's fastest of the whole tournament 81 miles an hour average oh and biger when she has time but she couldn't chase down that that was the first groundstroke winner by sabalenka [Applause] gly right is that a tattoo or a drwing that is I did not see that in practice you could see on the break point exactly what Andrea was talking [Applause] about so that's let's see 23 bucks aduce doesn't seem like sabalenka right now okay Sanka zanka holes that's good 15 to five times look at that return it's honor and a lot of that due to the roof being closed wow there's that short call you were talking about on there 15 ping can just sense sabalenka stepping in taking it early and the whole dynamic of the point changes right away in saal Lanka's favor I'm sitting in the perfect spot to see it here game zalena yeah she's more than just a big Bay tennis player isn't she now to keep that aggressive nature maybe get a tad more consistent a tad more Top Spin but also a lot of work on variety finishing points at net your coaching team knows led by Anton dubo she pushes opponents back so what could help her couple little Drop shots and she that 1 [Applause] 15 403 [Applause] a [Applause] [Applause] good zalena complicated hole but now it's f for the number two player in the world lka got rattled last year by the crowd got very flustered Midway through that second set and never quite recovered looks like a different player so far tonight 1 [Applause] 40 [Applause] d That's Pula Pula comes from billionaires her mom the president and owner two big teams the Buffalo Savers ho Buffalo Bills football it's a little too nervous and doesn't like to be around but decided that he was going to come this US Open that was 2 years ago H Kim suffered a a terrible medical emergency at home with her for a lot of the time yeah went into cardiac arrest your body not a brain injury trouble breathing swallowing [Applause] a [Applause] Thunder winner back was going to favor sabil Lanka and boy has it in this first [Applause] setage she missed it we're back on sale 15 love [Applause] [Applause] America's darling Oh Boy the net took that [Applause] wide G surprise Camp had not prepared her better for that if even if that was needed have to think that [Applause] this and that's what she does 30 [Applause] Ju [Applause] that's [Applause] [Applause] in control of the flow of this one [Applause] [Applause] Advantage game zabalo 15 left 15 on a 19-7 for sabalenka with rallies five shots or more there's another one a [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] a [Applause] got Advantage zalena is in trouble [Applause] she got to get the first ones in [Applause] [Applause] oh what a set of tennis jeez this has been an amazing display from both players back and forth these last couple of games Crow thought one of those sabano ground strokes was going to that's just so good game in first set saena saena a set away from her first US Open TI by seven games to [Applause] fight 15 love fourth Ace of the match just now go this is a important oh good she's going to hit it harder there you go game zabala Jess Pula has had anot of Pula was ass you know what's the dumbest question 5 no no good clearly the strategy was also used to drop shot pull Pula [Applause] in 15 14 stri met to right next door and they've been busy in this last we hitting love a and on top of all that feels like sabalenka is swinging even more freely and after getting that first set she looks very relaxed out here all the stress seemed to leave [Applause] after game s [Applause] 5 hey it's all got stopped in a couple of brutal semifinals but it's hardcore she's good at she can play on anything definitely be the best hardcore player if she's able to get across the Finish Line Cy lincol talks she says now they're all nice to me I don't really speak to them because I know what they were saying about me Advantage [Applause] Pula G 15 love 15 all [Applause] [Applause] get 14 she needs to get another one here to get back into this final [Applause] [Applause] same shot once again how is she going to move forward with her career oh come on no [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] she miss it game almost certainly been this final but in both sets Jess has really dug her heels in and tremendous fight out here no matter what happens now you love [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] 11 going into this point may but makes one of her best volleys of this match [Applause] [Applause] what game Pula [Applause] [Applause] started with that angry return didn't it and this is a point they just cannot let rattle her Arena went right at her with the swing volley totally legal got a little laugh from Jess that's you all that is a bummer yeah that could leave a little Scar Tissue she'll get another chance here to win this game second that's exactly right you have better ears than me love 15 and she has been she is the more aggressive player in the last 10 to 12 minutes or so she 59 [Applause] Andre was just talking about how Pula even lower to the net then in the first set [Applause] game [Applause] zinka is such a tough way to start off the first point M there was a lot of running by Pula [Applause] here got to catch her breath before she steps to the line again thank you and after winning five games in a row just seemed like savano love [Applause] 154 [Applause] game SAA your own guys to at least stand up when something good happens [Applause] that's the right play [Applause] [Music] 40 get the game Z 11 18 down the T let's see if she can cross the finish line and end this in straight sets 15 love come on 5 no come wow two huge forehand from SAA Lanka 15 1ou 15 14 if she wins this she'll be thinking of her father she said wanted her to be number one [Applause] J set match zalena two sets to Lear 75 75 she's wanted this so badly for so long in Arena savil Lanka has now won the US Open give her what she deserves New York your dad would be proud Arena