Jessica Pegula faced a challenging start in her first Grand Slam semifinal at the U.S. Open against Karolina Muchova. The No. 6-seeded Pegula struggled as Muchova displayed exceptional skill, making Pegula feel overwhelmed. “I came out flat, but she was playing unbelievable. She made me look like a beginner,” Pegula admitted, expressing her frustration.
Despite the rocky beginning, Pegula rallied to defeat Muchova 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, securing her place in the final at Flushing Meadows. The 30-year-old from New York has been in great form, winning 15 of her last 16 matches. She will face No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the championship match on Saturday.
Sabalenka, who was the runner-up last year at the U.S. Open, advanced to the final by defeating No. 13 Emma Navarro of the United States with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (2). This upcoming match will serve as a rematch of the Cincinnati Open final from last month, where Sabalenka emerged victorious.
Pegula’s early performance was concerning, as Muchova, the unseeded 2023 French Open runner-up, utilized her versatility and creativity to dominate the first set. Muchova took the first eight games before Pegula began to find her rhythm after saving a key break point early in the second set. Pegula then gained momentum and adopted a more aggressive strategy, which had worked well in her prior matches.
As Pegula intensified her play, she won nine out of the next eleven games, taking a 3-0 lead in the third set. Although Muchova had been undefeated in the tournament until that point, her performance began to falter, resulting in a significant increase in unforced errors.
In the second semifinal, Aryna Sabalenka faced challenges from Emma Navarro but eventually managed to secure her victory. With the crowd rallying behind Navarro at times, Sabalenka remained focused, recalling her experience from the previous year’s U.S. Open. Sabalenka displayed her powerful playing style, registering 34 winners alongside 34 unforced errors.
Navarro, who had a memorable run in the tournament, fought back in the match but was unable to push it to a third set, ultimately losing in the tiebreak. As the match concluded, the audience acknowledged Sabalenka’s impressive performance, marking her fourth consecutive final at a major event on hard courts.