US Open women's final 2024: Aryna Sabalenka faces Jessica Pegula in New York showpiece

Although Sabalenka is ranked second behind Iga Swiatek, she is arguably the best Grand Slam player in women's tennis.

She has reached the finals of the last four hard court majors, won two Australian Open titles and reached at least the semifinals of seven of her last eight Grand Slam tournaments.

Pegula has also entered new territory: she had previously lost all six quarterfinals of her Grand Slam tournament before toppling Swiatek on Wednesday.

Pegula, the daughter of Buffalo Bills owner Terry, pokes fun at misconceptions about her lifestyle, saying people expect her to have a butler because of her family's wealth.

She took the subway to Flushing Meadows almost every day, documented it on Instagram and talked about the support she received from her parents.

Pegula struggled with injuries in her early days before steadily rising in the world rankings, but was never able to win a Grand Slam title.

“It's unbelievable. It's a childhood dream. This is what I wanted as a child,” said the 30-year-old.

“It would mean the world to me to win. If you had told me at the beginning of the year that I would be in the final of the US Open, I would have laughed so hard.”