Saturday's gripping US Open final, won by Aryna Sabalenka in two tense sets over Jessica Pegula, was cheered by tennis greats from around the globe.
US Open: Scores | Draw | Order of play
Both sets featured dramatic twists and turns before Sabalenka prevailed 7-5, 7-5 in just under two hours to win her third career Grand Slam singles title, and first at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The site's namesake herself was one of the celebrities to praise both Sabalenka and Pegula for a high-quality affair to close out the year's final Grand Slam.
Cheers to both @SabalenkaA and @JPegula on an incredible #USOpen women's singles final.
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 7, 2024
The future of women's tennis continues to shine brightly! pic.twitter.com/8PKfVSG0FZ
What a match ladies 👏👏👏👏
— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) September 7, 2024
Congrats @SabalenkaA what a year 😅🫣
Great tournament @JPegula incredible US swing 👏👏❤️
Congrats, @SabalenkaA! Amazing level 🙌🏻@JPegula incredible performance not only during the US OPEN but also the weeks before. Happy to see you back at this great level!
— Caroline Garcia (@CaroGarcia) September 7, 2024
Good luck for the rest of the season 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 https://t.co/7BChe5rbbU
Drinks on @SabalenkaA for everyone? What a terrific final! The beauty of best of 3 sets when each game from the jump means so much!
— Pam Shriver (@PHShriver) September 7, 2024
Amazing win for @SabalenkaA
— victoria azarenka (@vika7) September 7, 2024
Congratulations 🏆
Best player in the world this season! 👏🏻
Also it was so awesome to see @JPegula reach the final! Most humble and cool person and player! More to come Jess ❤️
— victoria azarenka (@vika7) September 7, 2024
Pegula got an additional shoutout from her most ardent fans, win or lose, the NFL's Buffalo Bills.
Love you guys ♥️ https://t.co/Pu0KNC8Ngh
— Jessie Pegula (@JPegula) September 8, 2024
Tennis media also showered praise on Sabalenka for coming through the tough test on Saturday, and to Pegula for battling through a top-notch Grand Slam final.
"Aryna Sabalenka feels like the best player in the world right now," said BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller. "Both of 2024’s hard-court Grand Slams belong to her ... Sabalenka’s US Open triumph sets up an exciting race for the coveted year-end number one ranking."
"Sabalenka held her nerve until the bitter end in two intense, tempestuous sets that pushed her to her mental limits," wrote Tumaini Carayol of The Guardian, who also called the final "a breathless tussle of the highest quality."
Dubbing Sabalenka the "Queen of Concrete," David Kane at Tennis.com noted her return to "prime form by the time she arrived in Flushing Meadows," moving past "an inspired Pegula."
More to come...