Pegula surrenders to Sabalenka: "At this level, she would beat any player on the tour"

Carlos Navarro - 11 Sep 2026 | 03:37
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Pegula suffers a tough defeat against Sabalenka.

Aryna Sabalenka shattered Jessica Pegula's hopes on a New York night. These are not just any hopes: Jess dreamed of being a local hero and seizing that long-awaited Grand Slam, a crown that continues to evade her and has been snatched away for the third consecutive edition by the Belarusian, the world number one.

Was there anything more Jessica could have done? How did Aryna feel on the other side of the net? The truth is that the American didn't hold back in answering these questions and more, focusing in the press conference on praising her rival's extraordinary level and making an honest yet profound reflection: according to her, the level displayed by the Belarusian today would have been enough to overcome any player on the WTA tour.

This is what Pegula said after falling to Sabalenka at the 2026 US Open

On Aryna Sabalenka's level tonight

"I think that, definitely (and you can ask her about it) it's the best match she's played all year. I feel like her level was immense. Maybe she felt a bit out of sync at the beginning, but I think we were both playing and serving well. From there, well, I don't know who upset her today; I hope it wasn't me, though maybe it was (laughs). She played at an impressive, very high level. Honestly, I don't think there was much more I could have done today."

Así habló Pegula tras caer en el US Open.

Sabalenka, an expert at nullifying your strengths and making you feel helpless

"Yes, that's how I felt today. I think I had some opportunities, but she always found a way to hit incredible shots at big points, some very good second serves. I know she made a couple of double faults, but she usually found the line on every second serve, pushing me back. 

I don't know if she missed any backhands throughout the match. I would really like to check, I think she didn't miss a single backhand, maybe some returns early on, but after that, she shifted up a gear. Even on the break point, I got a really good return... and she hit a cross-court forehand winner. Today was tough, I gave my best and I don't think I played badly. In fact, I think I've played worse against her in other occasions, but her level was the highest I've ever seen from her on the court against me, especially when I think I wasn't playing that badly."

She elaborated on some aspects that allowed Sabalenka to control the points more

"She wanted to have that control, it's her game plan, after all. I don't think she ever wants to feel that her opponent is dictating the game. It's much better when she plays with that one or two-shot tennis: serve, return, return, next ball. That's what she does best. I think I played quite well, maybe in the past I was able to move her a bit more, but her goal has always been to not let me have control of the points. Today she did a great job in that aspect, especially through her serve, return, and first ball. She also managed to hit some impressive angles on both sides of the court."

Her feelings after the loss: she doesn't feel too disappointed

"Honestly, I'm not that disappointed. I truly think I couldn't have done much more today. We even joked about it with her team. We said to them: 'Hey, do you like us? Honestly, we're nice people (laughs). We treated you well: do you think that maybe one day, just once, she could be a bit more out of rhythm so I could have a chance?'

That was our attitude throughout the match, because as I said, she played at an incredibly high level, it's one of her best matches of the year. It is what it is. I didn't feel there was much more; I tried to stay focused and in the match to see if that level would drop, but it seemed, even, that she improved as the match progressed."

Finals in Washington and Cincinnati, semifinals at the US Open: does she feel satisfied with her North American hard court swing?

"I don't know if I'm satisfied, but I think it has been a very good summer. In terms of results, now that the Grand Slams are over, I've made two semifinals, quarterfinals at Wimbledon... it's a shame, but I've already had an incredible year. There are still things to aim for and look forward to. All the top players are playing at a high level, so I would like to finish the year strong, establish myself as a contender for the WTA Finals, and end up in a really good spot in the rankings since I have points to defend in Asia.

I don't know if 'satisfied' is the right word, but I'm happy with how my year has gone. My coach told me to remember Roland Garros, where I lost in the first round. Since then, I'm 22-5. It's impressive. We shouldn't forget that. I was able to move on after a very tough week and a really complicated loss, which made me stronger. I've tried to focus on that and on how I've bounced back from matches where I wasn't that great throughout the year: that’s why I think I’ve had such a consistent year. Also, going further than I usually do in Slams is always a good sign."

After the loss at the US Open, things she would like to improve

"There are always things. I constantly work on my serve, a bit on my movement; I work on being more aggressive, on coming to the net, on the slice and other shots. That's what I usually work on. In my mind, there are some small things I think about as I move forward, but we'll see. Now is not the time to talk about that. I'm playing quite well, so I don't know if I'm going to change too much. That’s done at the end of the year: right now, I need to try to stay healthy and feel good to finish the year strong."

What are the chances of the rest of the circuit against a Sabalenka playing at this level?

"It's a very tough matchup for me. I always hit the ball very cleanly, so when she plays me toe to toe, she can play at a very high level. I'm not a profile like Rybakina; I can't escape those rallies with my serve. I don't think I served poorly today; I did very well, but I'm not someone like Rybakina in that regard, and I'm also not a Gauff who can lean on unreal athleticism. 

With the way she played today, I think she would have beaten anyone. You would need one of the two profiles I mentioned to disrupt her rhythm a bit, but I don't even know if that would work, because she kept playing at a very high level. I'm not 100% sure, of course, but I do think she would have probably beaten 99% of the tour."}

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Pegula se rinde a Sabalenka: "Con este nivel le ganaría a cualquier jugadora del circuito"