Emma Raducanu was forced to retire in her first WTA Tour match since the Australian Open.
The US Open champion exited to Danka Kovinic in round two in Melbourne, as her bid for another major title was hampered by a painful blister to her right hand.
A month on, Raducanu took on Daria Saville at the Abierto Zapopan in Guadalajara but was forced to call a halt to proceedings after three hours and 36 minutes, with the scores at 5-7 7-6 (7-4) 4-3. It was the longest WTA match of 2022.
The 19-year-old had fallen at the first hurdle at last year's Linz Open, the only previous event where she appeared as the top seed, and she might have feared a repeat amid a slow start on Tuesday.
Raducanu and Saville traded early breaks, before the Australian seemed to settle first, claiming a 3-1 lead.
Back roared Raducanu and a tense opener continued in back-and-forth fashion, although the big opportunities fell the Briton's way.
She let slip three break points at 5-4 but had four more at 6-5, eventually able to celebrate with a mixture of relief and delight when Saville netted.
Raducanu served for the match at 5-3 in the second, but Saville battled on not only to force the tie-break but also a deciding set.
The Australian fell 2-0 down in the third but was ahead 3-2 when Raducanu took a medical time-out and returned to court with heavy strapping on her leg. After struggling through another two games, Raducanu retired a break down at 4-3, meaning Saville will progress to face Caroline Dolehide.
Meanwhile, after the shock exit of Madison Keys the previous day, Raducanu's fellow seeds had no such issues this time around.
Sara Sorribes Tormo and Camila Osorio each advanced in straight sets, beating Katie Volynets and Viktoriya Tomova respectively.
US Open: Pegula reflects on 'incredible month' despite Flushing Meadows near-miss
Jessica Pegula looked back on an "incredible month" after losing 7-5 7-5 to Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final.
Pegula, the oldest American woman to reach her maiden grand slam final, fought back bravely in the second set on Saturday.
Ultimately, though, Sabalenka had too much, reeling off three straight games to win her third major title.
Pegula, who lost to Sabalenka in the final of the Cincinnati Open after winning the Canadian Open, could nevertheless look back on her achievements with pride.
She said: "It has been an incredible month for me.
"I had a tough start to the year but managed to turn it around. I didn't expect to be standing here and I'm grateful for the last few months of tennis and some incredible matches."
Pegula is the fifth player in the past decade to defeat three former women's major finalists en route to the US Open final. Each of the previous four went on to win the event – Flavia Pennetta (2015), Angelique Kerber (2016), Sloane Stephens (2017) and Coco Gauff (2023), however.
But Sabalenka proved just too strong, as the Belarusian became the fifth player during the Open Era to win both hard-court grand slams, after Monica Seles (1991,92), Steffi Graf (1988,89), Kerber (2016) and Martina Hingis (1997).
"I wish she would have at least let me get one set," quipped Pegula, who won five straight games to go from 3-0 down in the second set to 5-3 up.
"We had a tough match in Cincinnati a few weeks ago and she's one of the best in the world.
"She's super powerful and isn't going to give you anything, she can take the racquet out of your hand.
"I'm just glad I was able to stay in there and keep taking opportunities."
US Open: 'Speechless' Sabalenka sure Pegula's grand slam wait will end
US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka credited Jessica Pegula after prevailing 7-5 7-5 in a thrilling Flushing Meadows final.
A topsy-turvy encounter saw Sabalenka cruise into a 3-0 lead in the second set, only for Pegula to reel off five straight games.
Yet Sabalenka regained her composure to propel herself back into the lead, with a long Pegula return from a ferocious volley sealing the Belarusian's maiden success in New York.
"Oh my God, I'm speechless right now," Sabalenka, last year's runner-up, said in the on-court presentation.
"So many times I thought I was so close to winning the US Open title, it's always been a dream of mine and finally I got this beautiful trophy. It means a lot, it was a really difficult couple of weeks."
Sabalenka then turned to Pegula, who became the oldest American player to compete in her first grand slam final.
"Jessica, I know how tough it was in the finals but you are showing some amazing tennis and I'm more than sure that you are going to get one [title], I mean not one, maybe more but let's start with one grand slam," said the Belarusian, who has now won three major titles.
"Congratulations on a great summer and you're an amazing player and in that second set honestly I was really praying for getting this win and not giving you one set.
"It means a lot, I'm literally speechless right now."
Pegula, who lost to Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open last month, is the first player aged 30+ to reach their first grand slam singles final since Flavia Pennetta (33y 197d) and Roberta Vinci (32y 204d), at the 2015 US Open.
US Open: Sabalenka topples Pegula in Flushing Meadows thriller
Aryna Sabalenka clinched the US Open title with a thrilling straight sets victory over Jessica Pegula.
A remarkable encounter swung one way and then the other at Flushing Meadows, before Sabalenka - who lost to Coco Gauff in the 2023 final - finally prevailed 7-7 7-5 in just under two hours on Saturday.
The Australian Open champion won her third major title at the culmination of an extraordinary comeback in the second set, after Pegula had won five consecutive matches to claw back from the brink herself.
Backed on by a partisan crowd, Pegula wasted little time in unsettling Sabalenka, taking the first two points on the Belarusian's serve and, despite the world number two fighting back, it was the American who clinched the first break in game three.
Yet Sabalenka responded with force, breaking twice in succession to storm into a 4-2 lead.
Pegula scrapped back with another break, and after saving four set points, clawed herself within one shot of taking the lead.
A stunning Sabalenka volley forced deuce, though, and a double-fault from Pegula suggested the pressure was starting to show.
Sabalenka firmly reset as she cruised into a 3-0 lead in set two, but a strong hold of serve saw Pegula get on the board.
Unforced errors handed Pegula a reprieve, which she duly took, and the fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium were on their feet when the sixth seed held her nerve to restore parity in the next game.
The jubilation only continued as Sabalenka slipped up again for Pegula to complete the turnaround, before thwarting a fightback from her opponent to win a fifth game on the spin.
But against the odds, Sabalenka hit back ferociously, reeling off two games to turn the tables yet again. A first championship point went begging when the second set clipped the net, but when Pegula returned long from a venomous volley, Sabalenka's triumph was confirmed.
Second time lucky
It was heartbreak for Sabalenka at Flushing Meadows last season, but after skipping the Olympics to prepare for the hard-court swing, she has proven a worthy champion in New York this time around.
This final featured the two players who have dominated this season's North American swing, but Sabalenka ultimately had too much for world number six Pegula.
Sabalenka is the sixth defending runner-up to win the US Open women's singles title in the Open Era, after Evert (1980), Navratilova (1986), Graf (1988 and 1995), Henin (2007) and Serena Williams (2002 and 2012).
She is the fifth female, meanwhile, in the Open Era to win two major titles on hard court in the same season after Graf (1988 and 1989), Seles (1991 and 1992), Hingis (1997) and Kerber (2016).
However, she is the first player to finish the season with the most grand slam match wins (18, level with Jasmine Paolini this year) for successive years since Serena Williams in 2015 and 2016.
Iga Swiatek is understandably the leading light of women's tennis, but Sabalenka is truly worth her place alongside the Pole as a modern great.
Pegula no pushover
Midway through set two, Pegula looked down and out 3-0 down, yet the powers of recovery she displayed suggests that a maiden major title is within touching distance for the 30-year-old, who was competing in her first grand slam final. She is only the third player to do so after turning 30.
She is the fourth player in the Open Era to reach singles finals at the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Open and the US Open in the same year.
Pegula is one of just five players in the past decade to defeat three former grand slam finalists en route to the US Open final. Each of the previous four went on to win the event – Flavia Pennetta (2015), Angelique Kerber (2016), Sloane Stephens (2017) and Gauff (2023).
While that was not to be the case for Pegula this time around, there is nothing to say she cannot come back stronger next year, just like Sabalenka.
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