At Flushing Meadows, Aryna Sabalenka moved one victory closer to a rare and defining achievement — three consecutive US Open titles — by methodically defeating American Jessica Pegula in the women's semifinal. The pursuit of such sustained dominance at a single Grand Slam speaks to something deeper than athletic excellence: it is the story of a competitor who has learned to carry the weight of expectation and return, year after year, to the same stage. Awaiting her in the final is Elena Rybakina, who outlasted Coco Gauff in the other semifinal, setting the championship as a contest between his