Pegula upsets Sabalenka in Berlin Open semifinal to reach final

Jessica Pegula turned a rain-splashed semifinal into a clear grass-court statement, beating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0 to reach the Berlin Open final. The result did more than end Sabalenka’s run in Berlin. It showed that Pegula’s game is translating well onto grass at exactly the moment the tour shifts toward Wimbledon.

The match changed sharply after Sabalenka fought back to force a second-set tiebreak, then momentum swung again once play resumed after the rain interruption. Sabalenka’s response briefly suggested the top seed might still wrest control, but Pegula reset in the decider and dominated the third set 6-0. For a player whose first serves, clean returns and compact court positioning can work on faster surfaces, the finish looked less like a fluke than a match that unfolded on Pegula’s terms once the rally patterns settled.

That makes the result more meaningful than a single upset. Pegula entered the week as the 2024 Berlin champion, when she saved five championship points to win the title and collect the fifth WTA Tour singles trophy of her career, her first on grass. A repeat run to the final reinforces that Berlin is not a one-off success for the American. It suggests she has the timing, patience and point construction to trouble the sport’s biggest hitters when the surface rewards quick adjustments and disciplined defense.

Sabalenka’s loss, by contrast, is a setback in the most important part of the calendar for a player who arrives at Wimbledon as the top-ranked woman. Grass can expose hesitation, and this match showed how quickly a favored player can be pushed off balance when an opponent extends rallies and turns pressure into errors. It does not rewrite the entire women’s hierarchy, but it does widen the sense of uncertainty around the field heading into London.

Pegula now moves into the final against Linda Noskova, who beat Alexandra Eala 6-2, 6-4 to reach her first Berlin final in 69 minutes. Eala’s run had already marked a breakthrough week, including a quarterfinal victory over Elina Svitolina, but Noskova ended it cleanly. The championship match will now offer a sharper read on whether Pegula’s Berlin surge is simply strong form or a sign that the Americans can press deeper into the Wimbledon conversation.