The women’s draw at the 2025 US Open has been full of shock results and dominant displays.
And it has left us with two fascinating semifinals, both which bear similarities to one another.
Both matches have a multiple-time grand slam winner looking to add to their collection facing an American star seeking their debut major title.
In one semifinal, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka takes on Jessica Pegula while in the other, Naomi Osaka faces Amanda Anisimova.
How to watch
The two semifinals both take place on Thursday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York.
No. 1 seed Sabalenka vs. No. 4 seed Pegula will kick off proceedings in Arthur Ashe Stadium at 7 p.m. ET, with Osaka against Anisimova after that on the same court.
The action can be watched on ESPN in the US, while Eurosport and Sky Sports broadcast the action in Europe and the UK, respectively. A full list of broadcast partners can be found here.
Sabalenka vs. Pegula
The first women’s semifinal is a rematch of last year’s US Open final. It is also a battle between a dominant force in women’s tennis against someone trying to get over the hump on the grand slam stage.
Sabalenka is playing in her 13th grand slam semifinal while it is Pegula’s second.
World No. 1 Sabalenka has enjoyed a successful year in terms of wins on the court, winning two WTA 1000 titles. However, at the grand slams, she’s fallen near the finish line.
The Belarusian reached the final of both the Australian and French Opens before losing both and made the semifinals of Wimbledon, falling to Anisimova. Interestingly, her three defeats at the grand slams this year have come at the hands of American opponents.
Sabalenka made the semifinals after Markéta Vondroušová withdrew from their quarterfinal match with a knee injury, so she will likely be well-rested ahead of her clash with Pegula.
Pegula, on the other hand, eased past two-time grand slam winner Barbora Krejčíková in the quarters to book her second-straight spot in the US Open semifinals.
While the 31-year-old is consistently ranked near the top of the women’s game, she has yet to add a grand slam title to her trophy cabinet but playing on home soil has appeared to spur her own.
She has not dropped a single set on her way to the final four and says she’s feeling increasingly at home in Flushing Meadows.
“It’s pretty crazy … it’s something 10 years ago I never, never thought I’d be good at this, but I guess I am.”
Historically, Sabalenka has the edge over Pegula in their previous meetings, with a 9-2 record over the American – the pair are also practice partners. Their last three meetings have all been in finals in the US, with Sabalenka winning all of them in straight sets at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, the 2024 US Open and the 2025 Miami Open.
Osaka vs. Anisimova
In Thursday’s second semifinal, two players who have surprised many to reach this stage will look to go one step further.
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