Jessica Pegula competed in her inaugural Grand Slam final at Flushing Meadows on Saturday, and despite being defeated by an opponent at the pinnacle of her abilities, the leading American in women's tennis believes this won't be her last opportunity at a major title. In her journey to the runner-up position, suffering a 7-5, 7-5 loss to the formidable world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, Pegula broke a streak of six consecutive major quarterfinals without a win. The milestone on Arthur Ashe Stadium's hard court served as a confidence-building stepping stone, much like several others in her career, the 30-year-old shared with reporters post the women's final.
"I believe I've gained confidence from winning a 250, from winning a 1000, from being able to win another 1000. Multiple ones now. Then to be able to be a Grand Slam finalist, I think that was kind of the last thing for me," Pegula said. "I made a lot of quarterfinals but can I make a semi? Can I be a contender to actually win a Grand Slam?" "I lost to girls that pretty much won the tournament every time. I know my level was right there," Pegula added. After enduring an injury this season that led her to skip Roland Garros, a more relaxed approach to this year's US Open provided a boost.
"I handled the moment a little bit better this year ... with just having maybe a different perspective of 'I had a rough start to the year and I didn't really expect to be doing this well in the hard-court swing.'" "I was able to kind of flip that script." Pegula's remarkable run in New York, which will elevate her to a career-high-matching No. 3 in the world, underscores the abundance of talent in American women's tennis. Compatriot Emma Navarro, who fell to Sabalenka in the semifinal on Thursday, will break into the top-10 while current world No. 3 Coco Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, will only slip a few places after a subdued performance this year.
