US Open revamps mixed doubles format, adds $1 million prize to incentivize "biggest names in the sport"

The world No. 2 will aim to go one match farther than her runner-up finish in 2023, defeating an in-form Navarro to kick off semifinal action Thursday night.

ByDavid Kane

Published Sep 06, 2024

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NEW YORK—Aryna Sabalenka’s brat summer culminates with a second straight US Open final, the world No. 2 defeating Emma Navarro, 6-3, 7-6 (2) on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The two-time Australian Open champion settled for the runner-up trophy in 2023, losing the championship match to Coco Gauff, but Sabalenka will look to make a clean sweep of hard-court majors in 2024, overcoming a late surge from an inspired Navarro in one hour and 30 minutes.

Sabalenka and Navarro were facing off for the third time in 2024, Navarro winning their first meeting at the BNP Paribas Open while Sabalenka getting revenge two months later at Roland Garros. Navarro has been in the midst of a career-best season, building on increasingly impressive Grand Slam results by reaching the fourth round in Paris and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon before saving her best at her home Slam.

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All but assured of a Top 10 debut after two weeks in Flushing Meadows, Navarro scored a second straight Slam win over Gauff and making quick work of former world No. 2 Paula Badosa to surge into the semifinals against Sabalenka.

Sabalenka rode a 10-match winning streak into her third straight semifinal at the Open, roaring to the Cincinnati Open title with back-to-back victories over Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula to arrive in Queens with plenty of momentum. Dropping just one set in five matches, she lost three games to reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in just 73 minutes on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old appeared on course for an equally emphatic victory as Thursday’s night session got underway, taking a quick 2-0 lead with Navarro struggling to find her footing. Navarro found her rhythm with a well-struck forehand return and leveled the set at two games apiece. On the brink of losing a third straight game, Sabalenka regained her composure and earned another break advantage, saving a break point en route to serving out the opening set in under 40 minutes.

Sabalenka shook off a late surge from Navarro to ultimately solve the in-form American in a second-set tiebreaker.

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Sabalenka and Navarro traded service holds as the second set got underway, but Sabalenka made her push in the fifth game, breaking and holding to put herself two games from victory. With the match hitting the one-hour mark, Navarro nearly faded entirely as she fell behind 15-40 on serve in the seventh game. But she saved two break points and caught fire from there, bringing the Ashe crowd to their feet and breaking Sabalenka to reel off three straight games from the brink of defeat.

Up against an inspired opponent, Sabalenka recovered to force a tiebreaker and shook off an early mini-break deficit in the Sudden Death, executing a deft volley and strong serve to edge ahead 5-2 after the first change of ends. She got to four match points with a brilliant change-up, drawing Navarro to net with a drop shot and putting away the pass.

Stepping in on Navarro's second serve, she crashed the net and put away the short reply to edge over the finish line in 90 minutes flat.

Standing between Sabalenka and a first US Open title—and third major overall—will be the winner of the second semifinal between No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula and 2023 semifinalist Karolina Muchova. Sabalenka and Pegula last faced off three weeks ago in Cincinnati, while Muchova scored the biggest win of her career over the former No. 1 in the semifinals of 2023 Roland Garros.