Jessica Pegula's Remarkable US Open Journey

Jessica Pegula reached her first Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open, marking a career milestone. Despite a 7-5, 7-5 loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the final, Pegula will rise to No. 3 in the WTA rankings. Her recent performance included a title win in Toronto and runner-up finishes in Cincinnati and at the U.S. Open.

Jessica Pegula will soon reflect on her impressive journey over the past month, highlighted by her U.S. Open final appearance, which marked her first Grand Slam final. However, immediate introspection is challenging following a 7-5, 7-5 loss to Aryna Sabalenka at Flushing Meadows on Saturday night with the championship at stake.

“Everyone is like, Congrats! Amazing tournament!' I'm like, 'Eh, whatever,” said the 30-year-old American, who had never advanced past the quarterfinals at a major before this. Pegula is set to ascend from No. 6 to No. 3 in the WTA rankings on Monday, equaling her career high, after an impressive post-Olympics stretch on North American hard courts featuring a title in Toronto and runner-up finishes at both the Cincinnati Open and U.S. Open, going 15-2 overall.

“For sure, I will take a lot of confidence from this — in maybe like an hour or two —- because ... I'm kind of annoyed. Not even annoyed losing the tournament; it's more just I was looking at it at, like, I just wanted to win the match,” Pegula explained. Despite her frustrations, her performance, including victories over world No. 1 Iga Swiatek and 2023 French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova, showcased her resilience. During the trophy ceremony, Sabalenka acknowledged Pegula's potential, stating, “You're showing some amazing tennis, and I'm more than sure that, one day, you're going to get one.”

(With inputs from agencies.)