Aryna Sabalenka made history on Saturday by securing her first US Open title with a decisive victory over Jessica Pegula in straight sets of 7-5, 7-5. The former world number 1 now adds this prestigious title to her collection, marking her third Grand Slam win of her career.
In addition to her remarkable victory, Sabalenka also received a record-breaking prize money of $3.6 million (more than INR 30 crore), a substantial increase of 20% from the previous year.
At 26 years old, Sabalenka has previously claimed victory at the Australian Open in the past two seasons. This latest triumph at Flushing Meadows represents a significant milestone in her career, surpassing her second-place finish from the previous year when she was narrowly defeated by Coco Gauff in the 2023 final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"I remember all those tough losses in the past here and it's going to sound easy but never give up on your dream and just keep trying, keep working hard," said Sabalenka, the runner-up last year and semi-finalist in 2022 and 2023.
"I'm speechless right now. So many times I thought I was so close to get the US Open title. It has always been a dream of mine and finally I got this beautiful trophy.
"I'm just super proud of myself. I'm super proud of my team as well."
The 2024 US Open commemorates the 50th anniversary of equal prize money being awarded to both male and female athletes in the tournament. In a historic milestone, Pegula earned $1.8 million as the runner-up in her first major final. Notably, she has been in exceptional form, winning 15 out of 17 matches played in the past month, with her only losses coming against Sabalenka.
The total prize pool for this year's US Open reached an impressive $75 million. In addition to the finalists, semifinalists Emma Navarro and Karolina Muchova each received $1 million in prize money.
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