Before Thursday, the 2026 US Open still had a chance of producing an all-American women’s singles final. The last time it happened was in 2017, when Sloane Stephens beat Madison Keys for the title. Now, nearly a decade later, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula stood one win away from setting up the next one.

However, on September 10, both Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula had to deal with semifinal defeats at the US Open. Gauff fell to the new world No. 1, Elena Rybakina, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, while Pegula couldn’t get past Aryna Sabalenka, losing 5-7, 2-6. Still, both Americans entered the day with high expectations, and the support inside Arthur Ashe Stadium made that clear.

After Gauff’s semifinal loss, veteran tennis journalist Pavvy G shared a clip on X showing empty seats around the stadium. The reason for fans leaving their sections? Gauff’s defeat. Pavvy also noted that several US Open staff members had openly supported the American earlier in the week.

So, when the 22-year-old walked out of Arthur Ashe Stadium following her loss, she received a standing ovation. But what about Pegula?

After the match, Sabalenka took the microphone for her on-court interview and openly acknowledged the crowd’s support for her American opponent.

“Thank you for the atmosphere, and honestly, guys, you’re the best,” she said. “Your respect for me is priceless, and I really appreciate that. I know that you wanted her [Jessica Pegula] to win; it’s obvious, but thank you for being so respectful to me.”

Pegula’s US Open journey began long before she became a regular in the latter stages of Grand Slams. She entered the doubles draw on a wildcard with Taylor Townsend in 2011 and made her singles main-draw debut as a qualifier in 2015, when she was ranked No. 260. More than a decade later, she has reached the US Open semifinals in three straight seasons.

Notably, Rybakina echoed a similar sentiment during her post-match interview when she was asked about the stadium emptying out so quickly following Gauff’s defeat.

So, what went wrong for the Americans?

Perhaps Sabalenka’s determination played a major role. She may have lost the world No. 1 ranking to Rybakina, but since her 2023 final loss to Gauff, she has won 19 consecutive US Open matches. On Thursday, she once again showed why she remains such a difficult opponent, hitting 29 winners compared with Pegula’s 12.

Gauff fought hard against Rybakina, too. In the second set, she battled back to make it 4-all, putting herself in position to force another shift in momentum. However, Rybakina responded by winning the next two games and closed the door on Gauff’s comeback hopes.

In the end, both American players could take pride in their efforts.

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula leave the US Open with their heads held high

Michelle Obama was in Arthur Ashe Stadium to support Coco Gauff, and she even shared a heartwarming message for the tennis star on X. Could that support motivate Gauff in the days ahead? Perhaps. Judging by her comments in the post-match press conference, the American remains eager to keep working and improving. 

“I’m looking at the other women, the other semifinalists; they’re older than me,” she said. “Like 3, 4 years older than me. I’m trying to think of how much work I put in to get here, how far I’ve come. Now I’m just excited to keep putting in the work for another year, another two years, and see where I’m at age 24, 25. And where my game can take me. Hopefully, it can be on the winning end of matches like this.”

Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula had plenty of praise for Aryna Sabalenka’s performance in the semifinal.

“I thought her level was insanely high,” she said with a smile. “I don’t know who pissed her off today. Hopefully, it wasn’t me; totally, it might’ve been. I don’t know. She played insane.”

Now, the stage is set for a showdown between the world No. 1 and No. 2. Will Sabalenka add another US Open match victory to her impressive run, or can Rybakina end her streak?