Will the reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka return to the silverware showdown on Arthur Ashe Stadium ?
©Corinne Dubreuil / FFT128 have been whittled down to the final four in the Big Apple.
Time to find out who will be the showstopper in the city that never sleeps. Four major players who have all hit this stage of a Grand Slam before, let’s dive into the women’s singles semi-finals all-star cast.
💪 The context / The current form
Since lifting her maiden US Open title last September, world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka has continued to be the dominant force of women’s tennis. However, the three-time major winner has suffered agonising near misses too as runner-up at the Australian Open and Roland-Garros. On top of that Sabalenka was edged out at this semi-finals stage at Wimbledon.
Can she elevate her game in the clutch moments this time round?
Across to New York and the 27-year-old has roared into weekend contention once again to meet Jessica Pegula once again.
The No.4 hasn’t hit the heights in 2025, a Roland-Garros fourth round was the best showing in majors, but she has recalibrated supremely, “got back on track” on home courts.
In a repeat of the 2024 final at Flushing Meadows, the American knows she needs to bring her best and more to flip that script in her favour and capture that elusive first Grand Slam.
🏆 Their 2025 tournament
‘The Tiger’ has hunted down every opponent so far without being truly tested.
Of course there have been patches in matches, however, the top seed has demonstrated why she competes with the No.1 next to her name.
1st round: victory against Rebeka Masarova 7-5, 6-1 (1hr 21mins)
2nd round: victory against Polina Kudermetova 7-6(4), 6-2 (1hr 36mins)
3rd round: victory against Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 7-6(2) (1hr 39mins)
Round of 16: victory against Cristina Bucsa 6-1, 6-4 (1hr 13mins)
Quarter-finals: victory against Marketa Vondrousova w/o
Just like Sabalenka, the world No.4 hasn’t been truly tested yet. Grand Slam winners in the shape of Victoria Azarenka and Barbora Krejcikova presented significant hurdles and Pegula thrived as the frontrunner.
1st round: victory against Mayar Sherif 6-0, 6-4 (1hr 15mins)
2nd round: victory against Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-3 (1hr 4mins)
3rd round: victory against Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 7-5 (1hr 38mins)
Round of 16: victory against Ann Li 6-1, 6-2 (54mins)
Quarter-finals: victory against Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 6-3 (1hr 26mins)
🆚 Face-to-face
As is the case against most players, top seed Sabalenka enjoys a postitive head-to-head record.
The defending champion leads their previous battles at 7-2, including the most recent three encounters. Three finals, three trophy lifts for Sabalenka at Cincinnati (2024), US Open (2024) and WTA 1000 Miami (2025), all in straight sets.
Over the ‘Jpeg’ to mix it up, to find a way to derail the scorching firepower of Sabalenka.
🎤 Heard in media
Aryna Sabalenka: “I think for me the key was balancing on- and off-the-court life. I think I've done a great job on balancing really hard work and also great recovery and some fun time outside of tennis court.
“I feel like I'm really enjoying my journey, my life. I think that's the main thing.”
Jessica Pegula: “I think it would be cool to be able to get revenge, obviously… There was so many things I could have done better. I wasn't very, ‘Oh, what a great match, I'm happy to be in the finals.’
“That's just the mentality that I have is I tend to look how I can get better so quickly, which is good, but also, I think coming into this year, seeing the feedback from all the fans and how much support I've gotten, I was like ‘Wow, actually last year was pretty incredible, and I went on a crazy run.’
“I think this year I've come back with a different perspective, knowing that I wasn't playing well, to really enjoy the fact that, this is pretty cool and that I've had really good results here, and I have so much support. So that's been really nice.
“I think playing Aryna again, I will have the mentality instead of maybe being so focused on what I have to do so strongly instead of competing and enjoying the crowd a little bit more and enjoying the fact that I'm in this position again to possibly be in another final and I'm playing the best player in the world.”
💪 The context / The current form
Prior to the US Open, four-time major winner Naomi Osaka hadn’t reached a Grand Slam second week since ruling Melbourne Park in January 2021.
Of course, a majority of that time has included pregnancy, child birth and maternity leave. Back on the main stage in 2024, it has taken this natural talent to sharpen her toolset. It’s all clicked in NYC for this worldwide icon, who knows exactly how to shine at the US Open as the 2018 and 2020 champion.
In the case of American charge Amanda Anisimova, the 24-year-old has continued to launch herself into contention for the top prizes.
The 6-0, 6-0 Wimbledon final loss two months truly stung. What a response to bounce back at the US Open to reach the semi-finals at the very least.
🏆 Their 2025 tournament
Two years ago, the Japanese icon sat in the Arthur Ashe Stadium stands to watch “little sister” Coco Gauff claim victory in the semi-finals, en route to the title.
In the 2025 edition, Osaka truly announced she’s back in the upper echelons with a dominant dismissal of Gauff. The instinctive, raw power is back within her control.
The current world No.24 declared “my dream is coming true,” after she’s recaptured the kind of form which propelled her to the very top. Talk about full circle.
1st round: victory against Greet Minnen 6-3, 6-4 (1hr 23mins)
2nd round: victory against Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 6-1 (1hr 10mins)
3rd round: victory against Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 (1hr 44mins)
Round of 16: victory against Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 (1hr 4mins)
Quarter-finals: victory against Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-6(3) (1hr 49mins)
Just like with Osaka, one match truly stands out for Anisimova this fortnight.
From not winning a single game in a Grand Slam final, to taking down that same opponent a few weeks later takes some doing. What a performance to outgun world No.2 Iga Swiatek.
“Well the anticipation was real… proud of my efforts and for shutting off the noise,” Anisimova posted on Instagram on Wednesday night. “Today was really meaningful on this crazy journey that I’m on.”
1st round: victory against Kimberley Birrell 6-3, 6-2 (1hr 9mins)
2nd round: victory against Maya Joint 7-6(2), 6-2 (1hr 16mins)
3rd round: victory against Jacqueline Cristian 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 (2hrs 10mins)
Round of 16: victory against Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-0, 6-3(1hr 15mins)
Quarter-finals: victory against Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-3 (1hr 36mins)
🆚 Face-to-face
World No.9 Anisimova can call upon two previous victories over Osaka in 2022. Both were in Grand Slams at the Australian Open and Roland-Garros.
The American edged a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) tussle in Melbourne, prior to a 7-5, 6-4 clash in Paris.
This is going to be tight!
©Corinne Dubreuil / FFT🎤 Heard in media
Naomi Osaka: “Definitely for me she's always been one of the most talented players on tour. I think no one wants to see her name next to theirs, especially with what she would potentially do.
“I think she's one of the players where you don't know where she's going to hit the ball kind of thing. I honestly didn't watch the Wimbledon final. Obviously I saw the scoreline, and I saw how devastated she must be, but I think to play Iga here now and to win it on home soil is something that is a really big achievement, and credit to her.
“I think the match is going to be really tough tomorrow.
Amanda Anisimova: “Well, she's won four Grand Slams. She obviously knows the game very well and is very successful. She's a really strong hitter.
“She plays really well on the hard courts. We know that. I feel like she's really found her groove. She's put in a lot of work this past year. I've observed it, and I've seen it.
“II feel like she's really found her momentum here. She looks like she's enjoying it out there. Obviously she's always been a top player and one of the best.”
ROLAND-GARROS
18 May - 7 June 2026
