Jessica Pegula achieved a significant milestone in her career by reaching her first Grand Slam semifinals, overcoming world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-4 at the US Open on Wednesday night. This victory marks Pegula’s first win in a Grand Slam quarterfinal after six previous attempts.
Pegula expressed her relief and excitement to finally advance, stating, “There have been so many freaking times, and I just kept losing… Thank God I was able to do it. And finally — finally! — I can say, ‘Semifinalist.’”
With her win, the US Open will feature multiple American players in the semifinal rounds for the first time since 2003. Pegula, seeded No. 6, has been on a remarkable run, winning 14 of her last 15 matches. She is set to face unseeded Karolina Muchova from the Czech Republic, who has also not lost a set in the tournament.
When discussing her upcoming match against Muchova, Pegula acknowledged her opponent’s experience but stated, “I’ll worry about that, maybe, when I wake up in the morning.”
In another semifinal match, American No. 13 Emma Navarro will play against No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion. The men’s semifinals will feature two Americans, No. 12 Taylor Fritz and No. 20 Frances Tiafoe, who will compete against each other.
Pegula’s dominant performance against Swiatek was unexpected, as she managed to break Swiatek’s serve multiple times. Swiatek struggled with her serve throughout the match, committing 22 unforced errors, primarily on her forehand, while Pegula kept her errors to a minimum.
Entering the match, Swiatek had only lost two service games in the entire tournament but faced an uphill battle as Pegula capitalized on her mistakes early on. Pegula broke Swiatek in both of her first two service games, leading to a strong start.
Despite the intensity of the match, Pegula maintained a calm demeanor, while Swiatek exhibited signs of frustration as the match progressed. Pegula, now off the quarterfinal losing streak that plagued her career, proved her ability to compete at the highest levels.
This victory adds to Pegula’s career achievements, bringing her to four wins against top-ranked players, with three of those victories against Swiatek.