Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominant run at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh with a three-set victory over American Jessica Pegula. In an honest and heartfelt post-match reflection, Sabalenka described her second round-robin battle as an “exchange of unreal tennis,” admitting that both she and Pegula pushed each other to new heights in a rollercoaster encounter.
Aryna Sabalenka’s Impressive Run So Far in Riyadh?
Sabalenka has looked unstoppable so far in her campaign at the year-end championships. After storming past eighth seed Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-1 in her opener, she entered her second group-stage match with confidence but faced a more formidable test against Pegula.
The Belarusian started strong, breaking Pegula’s serve early to claim the first set 6-4. However, the American found her rhythm in the second, taking advantage of Sabalenka’s rising unforced error count to dominate 6-2.
The match looked poised for an upset, but Sabalenka quickly regrouped, tightening her serve and dictating from the baseline to clinch the decider 6-3. The victory improved her round-robin record to 2-0, putting her on the verge of qualifying for the semifinals in Riyadh.
Best match in Riyadh by far, and what an appropriately brilliant finishing touch by Aryna Sabalenka! Absolutely ripped it!🔥
Huge thanks to both ladies! That was awesome! 👏 pic.twitter.com/v9zW3AAIAG
— til polarity’s end 🎾⚡#SpalettiIN⚡⚫⚪ (@lildarkcage) November 4, 2025
What Did Sabalenka Say About Her Thrilling Contest Against Pegula?
Speaking after the win in her on-court interview, Sabalenka was asked why her matches with Pegula often bring out both their best and worst tennis. She responded, “I really enjoy playing [Jessica Pegula] and she always pushed me to the next level and I felt like today was an exchange of unreal tennis from both,” Sabalenka said.
“You know, in the first set I played, I don’t know what I did there honestly, like some of the points were just wow. And then in the second set she turned it around and she was able to like play that tennis and then in the third set I was like, you know what, okay, I have nothing else to do than just step in and then try to play even more aggressive and put that pressure back on her and hope for the best.”
“Maybe I went a little bit too much on Anton.” 🫢
Aryna Sabalenka explains why her coach Anton Dubrov left the stands mid-match and how that helped her raise her level against Jessica Pegula. #WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/f6o6HyRIX3
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) November 4, 2025
Looking ahead, Sabalenka will face third seed Coco Gauff in her last round-robin match. This will be their 12th meeting on the WTA Tour, with the American holding a 6-5 edge in their head-to-head.