The Latest | Fighting escalates in Rafah as Israel pushes ahead with its offensive

Palestinian residents of the southern Gaza city of Rafah have reported an escalation of fighting Tuesday as Israeli forces pressed their assault on the border town once seen as the territory's last refuge.

Israel says it is carrying out limited operations in eastern Rafah along the Gaza-Egypt border, as the United States and other allies of Israel have warned against a full-fledged offensive in the city.

Israeli shelling and airstrikes west of Rafah killed at least 37 people overnight and on Tuesday, most of them sheltering in tents, according to witnesses, emergency workers and hospital officials. The strikes pummeled the same area where strikes on Sunday triggered a deadly fire that engulfed tents in a camp for displaced Palestinians, killing 45 people.

Israeli leaders say their forces must enter Rafah to dismantle Hamas and return hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.

Fighting in Rafah has caused more than 1 million Palestinians to flee, most of whom had already been displaced in the war between Israel and Hamas. They now seek refuge in squalid tent camps and other war-ravaged areas, where they lack shelter, food, water and other essentials for survival, the U.N. says.

Israeli bombardments and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducted about 250. Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of around 30 more.

Currently:

— Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognize a Palestinian state as EU rift with Israel widens.

— Netanyahu says deadly Israeli strike in Rafah over the weekend was the result of a "tragic mishap."

— As Israel attacks Rafah, Palestinians are living in tents and scrounging for food.

— An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon kills two people near a hospital, officials say.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.

Here's the latest:

UNITED NATIONS — Algeria has circulated a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and ordering Israel to halt its military offensive in the southern city of Rafah immediately.

The draft resolution, obtained Wednesday evening by The Associated Press, also demands that the cease-fire be respected by all parties. It also calls for the immediate release of all hostages taken during Hamas’ attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7.

The draft demands compliance with previous council resolutions that call for the opening of all border crossings and humanitarian access to Gaza’s 2.3 million people who desperately need food and other aid.

The proposed resolution says that “the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip constitutes a threat to regional and international peace and security.”

The draft says Israel “shall immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in Rafah.”

The draft condemns “the indiscriminate targeting of civilians, including women and children, and civilian infrastructure” and reiterates the council’s demand for all parties to comply with international law requiring the protection of civilians.

Algeria’s U.N. ambassador, Amar Bendjama, who is also the Arab representative on the Security Council, told reporters after emergency closed council consultations Tuesday that he would be sending the draft resolution to the 15-member council later in the evening.

Algeria called the emergency Security Council meeting as Israel pushed ahead with its military operation in Rafah and as fighting escalated in the border city where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge. It followed Sunday night’s Israeli airstrikes that triggered a fire engulfing tents in a camp for displaced Palestinians west of Rafah, killing 45 people and injured over 100 others.

Some diplomats said they hoped for a quick vote, even as early as Wednesday.

Chinaese Ambassador Fu Cong told reporters: “It is our hope that it can be done as quickly as possible because life is in the balance.”

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said: “We’re waiting to see it and then we’ll react to it.”

The United States has vetoed multiple resolutions demanding a cease-fire in Gaza.

UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations chief says the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza is risking famine and is calling on Israel to enable safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance through all crossing points.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres notes the International Court of Justice’s recent orders to Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah and open the border crossing from Egypt for aid deliveries “which are binding and must be respected,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday.

He reiterated the secretary-general’s condemnation of Israel’s air strikes Sunday night that led to the killing and wounding of many Palestinians, and “as he has said before, the horror and suffering must stop immediately.”

Guterres calls for urgent efforts to prepare the Palestinian Authority to take over responsibilities for governing Gaza, Dujarric said.

“The devastation and the misery of the past seven months have reinforced the absolute need for Israelis, for Palestinians, for states of the region and the broader international community to take urgent steps that will enable the parties to re-engage on the long-delayed political path to achieve a two-state solution,” Dujarric said.

JERUSALEM — Israel’s Labor party has chosen a new leader, picking a retired military general in hopes of boosting its fortunes.

The party announced Tuesday that Yair Golan, a former deputy military chief of staff, won its primary election with over 95% of the vote. He trounced three little-known challengers.

Labor, which led the country for the first three decades of its existence, has fallen on hard times. Opinion polls indicate the party would struggle to win the minimum number of votes to enter parliament if elections were held.

In a victory speech, Golan pledged to unite Israel’s struggling political left wing to mount a challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his religious and nationalist allies.

As deputy military chief, Golan was passed over for the top job after a controversial speech in which he compared what he saw as fascistic trends in modern-day Israel to Nazi Germany. He also served briefly in parliament with the dovish Meretz party, which failed to enter parliament in the most recent election in 2022.

The retired general has gained popularity since Oct. 7, when he threw on his old uniform and rushed to southern Israel to rescue people fleeing a music festival attacked by Hamas.

WASHINGTON — A U.S. State Department spokesman expressed regret Tuesday about the fiery deaths of up to 45 displaced Palestinian civilians in an Israeli attack, but gave no indication the U.S. saw Israel as crossing any of the Biden administration’s “red lines” for the war in Gaza.

Spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that Israel’s weeks-old offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah was still on a “far different” scale than the assaults Israeli forces waged on other cities in the seven-month war against Hamas in Gaza. The U.S. had urged Israel not to replicate those earlier attacks in Rafah, given the vulnerable civilians crowded there.

President Joe Biden had warned earlier this month that he might limit shipments of U.S. offensive weapons to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked the population centers of Rafah. Rafah had been a refuge for a million civilians sent fleeing by the war, although the growing offensive on that city has now sent up to a million there fleeing again.

Biden also had warned earlier that U.S. policy toward Israel would change if that country did not do more to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and otherwise ease the suffering of Gaza’s 2.3 million people.

“But is this something that we watch every day, and something that we engage with the government of Israel about every day,” Miller said. That's “as we talk to them about what their plans are and what U.S. policy might be, and as we talk to them about the need to minimize civilian harm and conduct their strikes in a way that minimizes civilian harm.”

Miller said he had no direct knowledge of reported accounts from witnesses on the ground Tuesday that Israeli tanks had entered the center of Gaza, and noted Israel had denied responsibility for a new Israeli strike outside of Rafah Tuesday that Gaza health officials said killed more than 20.

UNITED NATIONS — More than a million people have fled Gaza’s southern city of Rafah since Israel launched a military operation on May 6 and some have been displaced several times already because of Israeli bombardments, the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees says.

Juliette Touma, spokesperson for the agency known as UNRWA, told a U.N. press conference Tuesday that the agency's teams on the ground say heavy bombardments again took place overnight including in the area north of Rafah home to the U.N. main offices as well as UNRWA's offices. Most of its staff didn’t make it to work and were “packing and moving,” she said.

“People are absolutely terrified,” Touma said in the video briefing from Jordan. “A lot of people are fleeing to al-Muwasi and they are also fleeing to the middle areas including Deir al-Balah,” which are crowded with other displaced Palestinians.

Touma said just over 200 trucks with humanitarian supplies have been picked up for delivery to those in need in the past three weeks, which she called “a drop in the ocean amid people’s humanitarian needs.”

She said this is due to several factors: “heavy movement restrictions that the Israeli authorities continue to impose on the humanitarian community, the ongoing Israeli forces' airstrikes, and the recent expansion of the military operation in the area, and the recent launch of rockets by Hamas.”

As for fuel, Touma said every two days UNRWA picks up 100,000 liters of fuel on behalf of humanitarian organizations, which is one-third of the 300,000 liters needed every day, and that is also creating distribution problems.

MESEBERG, Germany — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says the strike that sparked a deadly weekend fire in a tent camp in Rafah illustrates why his country and others opposed a large-scale Israeli offensive in the southern Gaza city.

Scholz said Tuesday that an investigation announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “as right as it is necessary.”

At a news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, Scholz said the conduct of the war must be in line with international law and pointed to warnings against a large-scale ground offensive in Rafah.

He said that, given the large number of refugees in Rafah, “we can’t imagine any scenario, any variation of military activity that wouldn’t come with an irresponsibly large number of civilian victims, and unfortunately we feel vindicated by the latest reports.”

Sunday’s strike caused widespread outrage, including from some of Israel’s closest allies. Netanyahu said it was the result of a “tragic mishap.”

MESEBERG, Germany — French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday his country is working with Algeria on “a joint resolution” on Gaza to push for a cease-fire and address the desperate need for humanitarian aid.

France is supporting the Algerian request for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council over the situation in Rafah, he said.

The response to the Israel-Hamas war “can only be a political one,” Macron said. He was speaking in Meseberg, Germany, on the third day of a state visit in the country.

“We are ready to actively work at a peaceful solution, it’s reachable with political will,” Macron added.

He said French diplomats will work in the “coming hours and days” at convincing “all our partners” over the resolution proposal.

Macron reaffirmed that recognizing a Palestinian state is not a “taboo” for France yet the decision must be made “at a useful moment” and shouldn’t be an “emotional” reaction to what happened in Rafah.

Macron on Monday said on X he was “outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah.”

“These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate cease-fire,” he said.

UNITED NATIONS – The head of the United Nations agency promoting gender equality is demanding a halt to the war in Gaza, saying women and girls are suffering the most.

Sima Bahous, executive director of U.N. Women, said Tuesday more than 10,000 women have been killed in the seven months of fighting – including scores of women and children “horrifically killed” by an Israeli airstrike Monday while sleeping in tents in what was supposed to be a safe zone in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah.

Bahous told a U.N. Security Council meeting it is “for all women and girls caught in this conflict that we demand a permanent cease-fire, unhindered humanitarian access, the release of all hostages, the determined pursuit of peace, and a two-state solution.”

“This war must stop because women and girls are bearing the brunt of it,” Bahous told the meeting on the role of women and youth in promoting international peace and security.

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says an initial investigation into a strike that sparked a deadly fire in a tent camp in the southern Gaza city of Rafah has found the blaze was caused by a secondary explosion.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesman, said Tuesday that the military fired two 17-kilogram (37-pound) munitions that targeted two senior Hamas militants. He said the munitions would have been too small to ignite a fire on their own and that the military is looking into the possibility that weapons were stored in the area.

The strike or subsequent fire also could have ignited fuel, cooking gas canisters or other materials in the densely populated tent camp housing displaced people.

Palestinian health officials say at least 45 people, around half of them women and children, were killed in Sunday’s strike.

The strike caused widespread outrage, including from some of Israel’s closest allies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was the result of a “tragic mishap.”

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes on Rafah have killed at least 16 Palestinians overnight, first responders said Tuesday, as residents reported an escalation of fighting in the southern Gaza city.

An Israeli incursion launched earlier this month has caused nearly 1 million to flee from Rafah, most of whom have already been displaced in the war between Israel and Hamas, and who are now seeking refuge in squalid tent camps and war-ravaged areas.

The latest strikes occurred in the same area where Israel targeted what it said was a Hamas compound on Sunday night. That strike ignited a fire in a camp for displaced Palestinians and killed at least 45 people, according to local health officials, sparking worldwide outrage.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was a “tragic mishap” on Sunday and the military said it was investigating.

The latest strikes killed a total of 16 people in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood in northwest Rafah, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Norway on Tuesday formally recognized a Palestinian state with the Scandinavian foreign minister calling it “a milestone in the relationship between Norway and Palestine.”

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said “the recognition is a strong expression of support for moderate forces in both countries.”

However, “it is regrettable that the Israeli government shows no signs of engaging constructively,” Barth Eide said. “The international community must increase its political and economic support for Palestine and continue the work for a two-state solution.”

Last week, Norway, along with Spain and Ireland, said in a coordinated effort that they were recognizing a Palestinian state.

MADRID — Spain moved to formally recognize a Palestinian state with Ireland and Norway to follow suit on Tuesday in a coordinated effort by the three western European nations. Israel slammed the diplomatic move that will have no immediate impact on its grinding war in Gaza but adds to international pressure to soften its devastating response to October’s Hamas-led attack.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Spain of “being complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes” and told the country that its consulate in Jerusalem will not be allowed to help Palestinians.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who announced his country’s decision before parliament last week, has spent months touring European and Middle Eastern countries to garner support for recognition and a cease-fire in Gaza.

Relations between the EU and Israel nosedived Monday, the eve of the diplomatic recognition EU members Ireland and Spain, with Madrid insisting that sanctions should be considered against Israel for its continued deadly attacks in southern Gaza’s city of Rafah.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s parliament reelected hard-liner Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf on Tuesday as its speaker, reaffirming its hard-right makeup in the wake of a helicopter crash that killed the country’s president and foreign minister.

Of 287 lawmakers voting Tuesday, 198 backed Qalibaf to retain the position he first took in 2021. He initially became speaker following a string of failed presidential bids and 12 years as the leader of Iran’s capital city. Many, however, know Qalibaf for his support as a Revolutionary Guard general for a violent crackdown on Iranian university students in 1999. He also reportedly ordered live gunfire to be used against Iranian students in 2003 while serving as the country’s police chief.

Palestinians fleeing from the southern Gaza city of Rafah during an Israeli ground and air offensive in the city on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Smoke billows after an explosion in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

An Israeli soldier moves on the top of a tank near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

People stage a Pro-Palestinians protest at the Bologna Centrale train station in Bologna, Italy, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP)

Palestinians fleeing from the southern Gaza city of Rafah during an Israeli ground and air offensive in the city on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians fleeing from the southern Gaza city of Rafah during an Israeli ground and air offensive in the city on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians fleeing from the southern Gaza city of Rafah during an Israeli ground and air offensive in the city on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians fleeing from the southern Gaza city of Rafah during an Israeli ground and air offensive in the city on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians fleeing from the southern Gaza city of Rafah during an Israeli ground and air offensive in the city on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians flee from the southern Gaza city of Rafah during an Israeli ground and air offensive in the city on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

The Palestinian flag flies outside Leinster House, Dublin, following the decision by the Government to formally recognise the Palestinian state, Tuesday May 28, 2024. (Niall Carson/PA via AP)

A Spanish fighting bull billboard, is painted with the colours of the Palestinian flag and a writing that reads "free Palestine", on the outskirts of Madrid, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Spain and Norway have moved to formally recognize a Palestinian state with Ireland to follow suit on Tuesday in a coordinated effort by the three western European nations. While dozens of countries have recognized a Palestinian state, none of the major Western powers has done so. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Displaced Palestinians inspect their tents destroyed by Israel's bombardment, adjunct to an UNRWA facility west of Rafah city, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Displaced Palestinians inspect their tents destroyed by Israel's bombardment, adjunct to an UNRWA facility west of Rafah city, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Smoke billows after an explosion in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

An Israeli Apache helicopter fires a missile towards the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Customers stand in a restaurant while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appears on a television broadcast in Rivas Vaciamadrid, Spain, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says the Spanish Cabinet will recognize a Palestinian state at its Tuesday morning meeting as a European Union rift with Israel widens. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Children light candles during a march against Israel and in solidarity with Palestinians in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, on the Mediterranean Sea corniche in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, May 27, 2024. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Monday that a "tragic mistake" had been made after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah set fire to a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians and killed at least 45 people, according to local officials. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners shout slogans as they carry the coffins of Hezbollah commanders Hussein Youssef Salleh and Rafik Hassan Qassem, who were killed by an Israeli strike, during their funeral procession in Aita al-Shaab village, south Lebanon, Monday, May 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammad Zaatari)

A picture of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah sits on a house previously destroyed in an Israeli strike, in Aita al-Shaab village, south Lebanon, Monday, May 27, 2024. The Arabic on flag reads: "Oh Hussein." (AP Photo/Mohammad Zaatari)

Protesters clash with troops and riot police during a demonstration near the Egyptian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, May 27, 2024, in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza and demanding the Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Iran's acting President Mohammad Mokhber addresses during the opening ceremony of a new parliament term, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 27, 2024. Mokhber addressed the country's new parliament Monday in his first public speech since last week's helicopter crash that killed his predecessor and seven others. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A girl waves a Hezbollah flag as her brothers hold portraits of the late Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in 2020 in Iraq, as the family check their house destroyed in an Israeli strike in Aita al-Shaab village, south Lebanon, Monday, May 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammad Zaatari)

FILE - A tent camp housing Palestinians displaced by the Israeli offensive is seen in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on Feb. 27, 2024. The tent camps stretch for more than 16 kilometers (10 miles) along Gaza’s coast, filling the beach and sprawling into empty lots, fields and town streets. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali, file)

NEW YORK (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka left the U.S. Open in tears 12 months ago as the runner-up. She exited in the semifinals each of the two years before that. This time, Sabalenka was in a joking mood after winning her first championship at Flushing Meadows and the third Grand Slam title of her career.

Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, got past No. 6 Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in a rollicking final under a closed retractable roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday, adding this triumph to the two she earned at the Australian Open each of the past two seasons, also on hard courts.

“So many times, I thought I was so close to get a U.S. Open title. It’s been a dream of mine. Finally, I got this beautiful trophy. It means a lot,” said Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus, who is on a 12-match winning streak.

“I remember," she said, "all those tough losses in the past here.”

That includes in the semifinals in both 2021, against Leylah Fernandez, and 2022, against No. 1 Iga Swiatek.

Most poignant, of course, was last year, when Sabalenka was rattled by the Ashe crowd, blew a set advantage and was defeated by Coco Gauff. Like Gauff, Pegula is an American, but the spectators were far more generous toward Sabalenka on Saturday, applauding her best efforts and even obliging when she waved her arms to ask for extra noise.

Afterward, Sabalenka thanked the fans for cheering for her — which probably (wink, wink) was unrelated to her kidding offer of “Drinks on me” after an earlier victory.

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 at age 30. She’s won 15 of her past 17 matches over the past month; both losses came against Sabalenka.

“I know how tough it is to lose in the final, but you’re showing some amazing tennis, and I’m more than sure that one day, you’re going to get one,” Sabalenka told Pegula during the on-court ceremony, then paused and added with a chuckle: “I mean, not (just) one. Maybe more. But let’s start from one Grand Slam.”

To Pegula's credit, she did not fold after Sabalenka reeled off five consecutive games to grab the opening set and move ahead 3-0 in the second. In the next game, Pegula dropped a point and showed her frustration by whacking a ball off the video wall behind the baseline, dislodging a little square panel.

Maybe that released some tension, because suddenly Pegula asserted herself, using her own five-game run to go up 5-3. But when she served at 5-4 with a chance to force a third set, Pegula let Sabalenka level the second with a break.

“Was able to find some good tennis, just wasn’t quite able to sustain it,” Pegula said. “She played some big tennis in big moments.”

Indeed, that began a three-game surge for Sabalenka, who soon was collapsing to the court, dropping her racket and covering her face with both arms.

“Everyone is like, ‘Congrats! Amazing tournament!’” Pegula said. “I’m like, ‘Eh, whatever.’”

Sabalenka is as demonstrative as anyone, her body language usually a spot-on barometer of whether things are going well — or not — for her. But as she sputtered at the start Saturday, it was tough to read what she was thinking against Pegula, who eliminated Swiatek in the quarterfinals.

Even while down an early break and being a point from trailing 3-1, Sabalenka reacted to mistakes by calmly turning her back and taking deep breathing as star athletes from other sports such as Stephen Curry, Lewis Hamilton and Noah Lyles looked on from the stands.

Once Sabalenka got going, once her booming strokes — her forehands were the fastest of the past two weeks, speedier than any woman’s or man’s — were calibrated just so, it became apparent the outcome would be determined by what she did.

By the close, the statistics made that obvious: Sabalenka finished with far more winners than Pegula, 40-17, and also more unforced errors, 34-22. Sabalenka controlled most exchanges, with Pegula mainly stuck responding as best she could.

“She’s super powerful. Goes for her shots. She’s definitely not going to give you anything,” Pegula said. “I was happy I was able to fight back and give myself a chance, but in the end it wasn’t enough.”

There was one moment of clear anger from Sabalenka. It came at 5-all in the first set, when she double-faulted to face a break point, then leaned forward and cracked her racket against the court four times while holding the handle with both fists.

Seemed to work. She saved that break point, wound up taking that game, then broke Pegula to own the opening set.

A year ago, Sabalenka blew that lead against Gauff. The year before, Sabalenka blew that lead against Swiatek.

Didn't let it happen again.

“In that second set, honestly, I was just praying there,” said Sabalenka, who collected a $3.6 million winner's check. “I was literally standing there and praying.”

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, records images after defeating Jessica Pegula, of the United States, in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, left, and Jessica Pegula, of the United States, wait for the start of the trophy ceremony after Sabalenka defeated Pegula in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Billie Jean King poses with Jessica Pegula, left, of the United States, and Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, following the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. Sabalenka won the match (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, poses for photos with the championship trophy after defeating Jessica Pegula, of the United States, in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, can't catch up with a shot from Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, and Jessica Pegula, of the United States, wait for the start of the trophy ceremony after Sabalenka won the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, kisses the championship trophy after defeating Jessica Pegula, of the United States, in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts after defeating Jessica Pegula, of the United States, to win the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts after defeating Jessica Pegula, of the United States, to win the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

CORRECTS SPELLING OF LAST NAME TO BLOOMBERG, NOT BLOOMBURG - Michael Bloomberg and partner Diana Taylor, left, watch the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships between Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, and Jessica Pegula, of the United States, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Tina Fey watches the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships between Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, and Jessica Pegula, of the United States, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Lewis Hamilton and Anna Wintour watch the women's singles final between Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, and Jessica Pegula, of the United States, of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, can't catch up with a shot from Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Jessica Pegula, of the United States, reacts after scoring a point against Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts in the second set against Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, kicks the ball after double faulting Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Flavor Flav arrives for the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships between Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, and Jessica Pegula, of the United States, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Billie Jean King, center, her wife Ilana Kloss and USTA president Brian Hainline, arrives for the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships between Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, and Jessica Pegula, of the United States, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

CORRECTS SPELLING OF FIRST NAME TO STEPHEN, NOT SPETH, ADDS WIFE's NAME - Stephen Curry, center, and his wife Ayesha Curry arrive for the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships between Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, and Jessica Pegula, of the United States, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, cools off with an ice pack between games against Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts against Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, returns a shot to Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, returns a shot to Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Jessica Pegula, of the United States, reaches for a shot by Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts in the first set against Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Jessica Pegula, of the United States, reacts in the second set against Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts against Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts after scoring a point against Emma Navarro, of the United States, during the women's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Jessica Pegula, of the United States, reacts after defeating Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, during the women's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)