Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature “It’s amazing,” Jabeur says in her on-court interview after reaching her first US Open final. “After Wimbledon, [there was] it’s really pushing me and I’m really relieved to be able to back up my results. The grueling season started a bit badly, but now I’m very happy to reach the final here.” Jabeur is being asked if her perfect lifetime record against rival Garcia entering tonight’s match – two wins on the pro tour and four more on the juniors – helped her win. “I mean it helped and not at the same time because I know she was playing amazing tennis and that kind of pressure puts a lot of pressure on you. So it wasn’t easy for me, but mentally I was so ready.”
Jabeur wins 6-1, 6-3 to reach US Open final!
Second set: Garcia 1-6, Jaber 3-6 With Jabeur serving for the match, Garcia calls a couple of winners to force him to 30-all. But the Tunisian responds with a forehand winner for match point, then a 75mph backhand that Garcia pushes into the net. Jabeur immediately drops to her knees behind the baseline and lets out a scream. He went to the US Open final for the first time! Updated at 01.30 BST Second set: Garcia 1-6, 3-5 Jabeur* (*denotes next server) Garcia holds his own comfortably, landing some great volleys along the way. It is now up to Jabeur to secure a place in Saturday’s final. Second set: *Garcia 1-6, 2-5 Jabeur (denotes next server) Another chance for Garcia when Jabeur went down 15-30 on her serve. Jabeur responds with a 93mph second-serve winner before holding serve on another flurry of Garcia unforced errors. Jabeur is four points clear of her first US Open final with Garcia serving to stay in the tournament after the change of ends. Second set: Garcia 1-6, 2-4 Jabeur (*denotes next server) Garcia lags at love-30 on her serve. She’s able to hold with four quick points from there, finally winning the free points on her serve that she’s been taking all tournament but that eluded her tonight. But she is still down a set and a break and will need to make progress on Jabeur’s serve, and soon, if she is to keep her run at the US Open alive. Caroline Garcia struggled a lot in her first major semi-final. Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran/USA Today Sports Updated at 01.17 BST Second set: *Garcia 1-6, 1-4 Jabeur (denotes next server) Jabeur appears bound for a stress-free hold at 40-15. But Garcia wins a few points to reach a Jabeur service game for the first time all night. Some good fighting from Garcia to force a second second point and then a third, but Jabeur is able to get out of trouble, cracking her eighth ace of the night along the way. Jaber breaks in the fourth game of the second set! Second set: Garcia 1-6, 1-3 Jabeur (*denotes next server) It just got worse for Garcia. After falling behind at love-15, then 15-30, then 30-40 and the break point on her serve, she gets into her 18th unforced error of the night to give Jabeur the break of serve. Second set: *Garcia 1-6, 1-2 Jabeur (denotes next server) A glimmer of opportunity for Garcia, who is able to make it 30-all on Jabeur’s serve for only the second time all night. But Jabeur wins two quick points from there to hold before things get interesting. Second set: Garcia 1-6, 1-1 Jabeur (*denotes next server) Garcia is pressed again on her serve after another uncorrectable forehand error makes it 30-all. But he hangs on from there, closing out the game with his first ace of the night: 108 mph down the middle. Second set: *Garcia 1-6, 0-1 Jabeur (*denotes next server) Jabeur breaks through on her opening serve in the second set. The Wimbledon runner-up is simply on fire while Garcia… isn’t.
Jabeur wins the first set, 6-1!
Jabeur breaks in the seventh game of the first set! First set: Garcia 1-6 Jaber Garcia opens with a drop-shot winner but falls behind 15-30 with two more errors. Jabeur then hits a forehand return winner for 15-40 and a couple of set points. But he only needs one of those as Garcia sends in a cross to give the Tunisian the opening set in just 23 minutes. Remember: Garcia entered tonight’s match yet to drop a set in the event with just 27 games conceded. It will need to reboot quickly or it may lag early. Ons Jabeur celebrates after winning the first set of Thursday’s match. Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images Updated at 00.49 BST First set: *Garcia 1-5 Jabeur (denotes next server) Jabeur smashes three straight aces down the middle to race to 40-love, then closes out a rudimentary love hold to consolidate the break with a forehand volley winner. Garcia will now serve to stay in the opening set. Jabeur breaks in the fifth game of the first set! First set: Garcia 1-4 Jabeur (*denotes next server) More sloppy play from Garcia is costing her dearly. She trails 30-40 on her serve with her ninth, 10th and 11th unforced errors of the day, then gives Jabeur a double-break lead with her 12th (against just four winners). Garcia struggles badly with Jabeur’s piece and is in a lot of trouble after less than 20 minutes. First set: *Garcia 1-3 Jabeur (denotes next server) Jabeur trails 15-30 on her serve but rattles off three quick points on a 100mph ace down the middle, followed by back-to-back forehand winners. Serves well and hits the ball with confidence early on. First set: Garcia 1-2 Jabeur (*denotes next server) Garcia quickly falls behind at love-30 on her serve. But he rattles off four quick points from there to get on the board and avoid a disastrous start. As the players switch ends, the sun sets over the Manhattan skyline from the west side of Arthur Ashe Stadium. View of the New York skyline during Thursday’s US Open semifinal between Caroline Garcia and Ons Jabeur. Photo: Julia Nikhinson/AP First set: *Garcia 0-2 Jabeur (denotes next server) Jabeur breaks back with an ace back down the middle to open her first service game. Then Garcia makes another unthinkable error – the fifth already – and Jabeur is one point from holding at 40-love. The 17th seed has dropped seven straight points, showing early nerves. He pulls back two points with a backhand winner and Jabeur’s first double fault, but Jabeur holds comfortably thanks to Jabeur’s sixth fault. Jabeur breaks in the first game of the first set! First set: Garcia 0-1 Jabeur (*denotes next server) Garcia wins the first two points. But he follows with a pair of unmarked forehand errors from the baseline, then scores a volley on the approach to face an early break point. A chance for Jabeur to draw first blood. And Garcia gives it to her, sending a backhand into the courts, crossing the baseline early on the point. Jabeur and Garcia took the field for their semifinal match on a balmy 75F (24C) evening. They emerge to a two-thirds empty Arthur Ashe Stadium, due to New York’s typically late crowd. Billie Jean King is out for the coin toss and the players join her at the net, then pause for a moment of silence to honor the Queen’s passing. Garcia wins the toss and chooses to serve. The players are now in their warm-up and we should be starting soon. Caroline Garcia, left, poses for a photo with Ons Jabeur ahead of her US Open semifinal match. Photo: John Minchillo/AP Updated at 00.18 BST A few quick notes ahead of tonight’s first fight between Jabeur and Garcia. Jabeur, the fifth Tunisian to reach the Wimbledon final in July, became the first African to reach the semi-finals in US Open history. Only three African women have reached the last four in any major professional era: Annette Du Plooy (1968 Roland Garros), Yvonne Vermaak (1983 Wimbledon) and Amanda Coetzer (1997 Roland Garros, 1996-97 Australian Open). The red-hot Garcia, who has won three titles on three different surfaces this summer and enters tonight’s match riding a career-best 13-game winning streak, finally made the last four in her 42nd career grand slam appearance. Only four women have played more majors before making their semifinal debut: Barbora Strycova (53, 2019 Wimbledon), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (52, 2021 French Open), Elena Likhovtseva (46, 2005 French Open) and Roberta Vinci (44, 2015). US Open) – the last of which Serena Williams was very sorry about.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to Flushing Meadows for tonight’s US Open women’s semifinals. We have a great doubles portfolio with No 5 Ons Jabeur meeting No 17 Caroline Garcia in the first match and No 1 Iga Swiatek facing No 6 Aryna Sabalenka in the nightcap. We’re guaranteed a first-time US Open champion from this crop, but all the talk of a semi-final draw is a bit misplaced with a gang of four that includes this year’s French Open champion (Swiatek), a returning US Open semi-finalist (Sabalenka) , the Wimbledon runner-up (Jabeur) and the hottest player on tour all summer (Garcia). You could hardly ask for a more deserving final four at the final major of the season. Much more to come tonight from the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where the first of our two semifinals will be underway in about half an hour. Brian will be here soon. In the meantime, here’s Tumaini Carayol’s recap of Wednesday night’s (and Thursday morning’s) absolute cracker of a men’s quarter-final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
