Jessica Pegula tightened her US Open bid by sweeping past fellow American Ann Li 6-1, 6-2 in 54 minutes to advance to the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows for the second straight year. The No. 4 seed has yet to drop a set in this year’s tournament and has allowed only 17 games through four rounds, his her fewest in any major quarterfinal run.
Earlier in the day, Aryna Sabalenka kept her stranglehold on this year’s majors, defeating Cristina Bucsa 6-1, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals without dropping a set. The result also clinched Sabalenka’s hold on the No. 1 ranking after the tournament. Sabalenka’s streak of advancing to the quarterfinals in 12 consecutive majors is the longest such run for a woman since Serena Williams (16 straight from 2000 to 2005). Her next opponent will be Marketa Vondrousova, who dethroned 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in a night session that featured 13 aces, three of them in the final game.
Pegula will meet Barbora Krejcikova in the next round after Krejcikova, a two-time Grand Slam champion, survived a dramatic comeback against Taylor Townsend, saving eight match points in the second set before taking it 1-6, 7-6 (13), 6-3. Krejcikova then played a lengthy match Sunday, lasting 3 hours and 4 minutes to win, including 98 minutes in the second set.
Pegula’s path to this point has been a story of resilience. After going 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals prior to upsetting Iga Swiatek here last year, she reached the US Open final before falling to Sabalenka. Coming into the Open, she had won just four of her previous six singles matches, and she even admitted a poor practice session with Sabalenka left her considering an escape room break with friends and a few drinks. Since then, she’s turned things around, delivering a clinical performance against Li and positioning herself to push deeper into the tournament.
What it means: Pegula’s steady form and comfort in big-match moments keep her firmly in the title conversation, especially with a favorable quarterfinal against Krejcikova. Sabalenka’s continued consistency reinforces her status as the player to beat, while Krejcikova’s marathon wins and back-to-back long matches suggest a potential fatigue factor in the upcoming rounds. The atmosphere around the women’s draw remains wide open, with several former major champions and top seeds still bidding for the title.
Summary: A day of decisive results at the US Open has set up a high-stakes stretch for the quarterfinals, with Pegula aiming to extend her momentum, Sabalenka pursuing the No. 1 ranking and Krejcikova taking on a rejuvenated Pegula in a battle of seasoned Grand Slam contenders. A hopeful note: the early rounds have showcased depth and resilience across the field, underscoring that any of the remaining competitors can surge into the late stages with the right momentum.