NEW YORK >> Aryna Sabalenka got past Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in a rollicking U.S. Open women’s final Saturday to win her first championship at Flushing Meadows and third Grand Slam title of her career.

Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus, adds this trophy to the two she earned at the Australian Open each of the past two seasons, also on hard courts. And the victory allowed her to leave Arthur Ashe Stadium in a far better mood than when she was the runner-up to Coco Gauff at the 2023 U.S. Open.

Pegula, a native New Yorker whose parents own the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, was participating in a major final for the first time. She’s won 15 of her past 17 matches over the past month but both losses came against Sabalenka in tournament finals.

Purcell and Thompson win doubles title >> Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson won the U.S. Open men’s doubles championship, avoiding another late collapse and beating the 10th-seeded German team of Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-4, 7-6 (4) for their first major trophy together.

The No. 7 seeds from Australia held three match points in July at Wimbledon but lost in a third-set tiebreaker to Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.

Sinner won’t compete in Davis Cup >> U.S. Open finalist Jannik Sinner needs time to rest after Sunday’s final against Taylor Fritz in New York and will not compete in the Davis Cup Finals group stage next week in Bologna, Italy, captain Filippo Volandri announced.

The top-ranked Sinner was exonerated in a doping case less than a week before the U.S. Open began. He beat Jack Draper in the U.S. Open semifinals on Friday.

Pro football

Love to return this season with MCL injury >> Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love injured his medial collateral ligament in the team’s season-opening game, but didn’t suffer damage to his ACL and should return at some point this season.

The injury occurred as Love was attempting to drive the Packers to a game-winning touchdown in the closing seconds. Love faced major pressure from Jalen Carter and Josh Sweat as he threw a backward pass to Josh Jacobs. Carter was lying down and had a hold of Love’s left leg when Sweat pushed the quarterback to the ground.

Reddick out for Jets first game >> Linebacker Haason Reddick won’t play in the New York Jets’ season-opening game Monday night at San Francisco while he remains in a contract dispute with the team.

Pro basketball

Nuggets’ Murray agrees to max contract extension >> Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray has agreed to a four-year, $208 million maximum contract extension, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Murray made a remarkable return from a torn ACL that sidelined him for all of the 2021-22 season to help lead the Nuggets to the franchise’s first NBA title in 2023.

Baseball

Mets’ McNeil out for rest of the season >> The Mets’ Jeff McNeil fractured his right wrist when hit by a pitch and will miss the rest of the regular season.

McNeil was struck on a protective guard covering the wrist by a 74.3 mph curveball from Cincinnati’s Brandon Williamson during the fifth inning of the Mets’ 6-4, 10-inning win. McNeil played second base in the sixth but the wrist swelled, he had difficulty taking swings in the batting cage and Harrison Bader pinch hit for him in the bottom half.

Paralympics

U.S. Equestrian team medals again >> The United States equestrian team won three more medals in Paralympics dressage, and Fiona Howard and Rebecca Hart clinched their third gold medals of the Paris Games.

The Paralympic debutant Howard won the Grade II individual freestyle and the veteran Hart won it in Grade III. Earlier, teammate Kate Shoemaker claimed bronze in Grade IV.

Riders compete in five grades, with Grade I for the most severely impaired riders.