American fans may not have gotten the final they wanted, and Andy Roddick knows it. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula were both sent packing in the semifinals, leaving Arthur Ashe without a home favorite for Saturday’s title clash. Instead, top seed and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will face newly crowned world No.1 Elena Rybakina. And before the New York crowd turns cold on the matchup, former world No.1 Roddick had a message for them on his Served podcast: drop the grudges and give the final the respect it deserves.

“I hope the crowd gives it the respect that it deserves, even though it’s not Coco or Jess in the final,” he said. “These are two phenomenal players. The number one for this week, and then it flips next week. So let’s enjoy these champions. As Sabalenka goes for her fifth major, Rybakina goes for her third, the second this year. Implications for number one in the world, on the line for the year-end ranking. So, I can’t wait to watch this match.”

The Americans did not go down quietly, but neither could stop the two best players left in the draw. Sabalenka shut the door on third seed Jessica Pegula with one of her most complete performances of the tournament to punch her ticket to the final.

“Probably the best match she’s played this year. I thought her level was insanely high,”  Pegula even acknowledged in the press conference. 

Meanwhile, Rybakina had to stage a comeback against fourth seed and 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff. After losing the opener 3-6, the Kazakh won the next two sets 6-4, 6-4 to secure her place in the finals for the first time in New York. It was the first time since 1975 that all four of the top seeds had advanced to the US Open semifinal stage, and both of the Americans fell to the two women to play for the title.

Roddick reveals who can win the US Open

Beyond the plea for a respectful crowd, Roddick offered a detailed breakdown of how he sees the final playing out, and he came down firmly on one side. 

“I think when Sabalenka’s playing her best, I think she’s the best player in the world,” he said. “Rybakina has been fantastic this year, but the Sabalenka that we’ve seen in this U.S. Open has just been different. All the respect in the world for Rybakina and her path.”

Sabalenka leads their overall head-to-head 10-7, but Rybakina has had the upper hand when trophies are on the line, leading their finals record 4-2. That includes this year’s Australian Open final, where Sabalenka led 3-0 in the deciding set before Rybakina stormed back to take the title.

A pattern started to form from that final – Sabalenka had not won a match at a major that reached the decider until the quarterfinals of the US Open. She broke that curse against Linda Noskova, winning the match in the deciding tiebreak. According to Roddick, breaking through that barrier was a huge deal. 

Breaking down the matchup, the 2003 US Open champion gave both players an edge in different areas, but he was clear about what he believes will decide the final.

“I think Rybakina is probably a little bit smoother with her technique. I think her serve is a little bit better,” he said, before turning to Sabalenka’s side of the ledger. “I think Sabalenka probably moves a little bit better. First-strike tennis, I think she’s a little bit better. First-strike tennis is gonna win the day. If Sabalenka is connecting on second-serve returns, it’s really hard to beat her.”

Rybakina has already dethroned Sabalenka from the world No. 1 position. Can the Kazakh continue to dominate the top seed in the finals, or will Sabalenka get her revenge and become the first woman since Serena Williams to win three consecutive US Open titles?