Jessica Pegula Reaches US Open Semifinals Without Dropping a Set

No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula has advanced to the semifinals of the US Open women’s singles tournament after defeating Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 6-3 on September 5, 2023. This marks Pegula’s second appearance in the semifinals at a Grand Slam event, following her journey to the final last year, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka.

Pegula, the highest-seeded American remaining in the tournament, has demonstrated remarkable consistency on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows. She has reached the semifinals without dropping a single set, making her the first woman to achieve this feat in consecutive years since Serena Williams, who accomplished the same from 2011 to 2014.

Dominant Performance on the Court

In her quest for a Grand Slam title, Pegula has only faced significant pressure in one set thus far, notably during her third-round match against Victoria Azarenka, where she was pushed to a 5-all tie in the second set. Overall, she has only lost 23 games throughout the tournament, the fewest by an American woman en route to a major semifinal since Williams lost 22 games prior to the semifinals at the 2016 Australian Open.

“I think I’ve been playing some really good tennis,” Pegula stated after her victory. “I’ve just been playing very solid. I’ve been having very good quick starts, so I really wanted to do that today, especially against someone like Krejcikova who’s very dangerous.”

Pegula’s semifinal match could see her face the top-ranked women’s player, Aryna Sabalenka, if Sabalenka defeats Marketa Vondrousova in their match later that evening at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Pegula expressed her excitement about playing on such a prestigious court, saying, “It’s crazy to look now and think that I’m really comfortable coming out here playing on big courts in big matches on the best court in the world with the craziest crowd against the best players.” She reflected on her progress, remarking, “Ten years ago, I never thought I’d be good at this, but I guess I am.”

Aiming for Grand Slam Glory

At 31 years old, Pegula is still in pursuit of her first Grand Slam championship. Alongside her, Amanda Anisimova is the only other American left in the women’s singles draw. Anisimova’s path was complicated when Krejcikova eliminated Taylor Townsend in the round of 16, where Townsend notably missed eight match points.

While Pegula was not flawless in her match against Krejcikova, she maintained control throughout, breaking Krejcikova one last time to conclude the contest in under 90 minutes on her first match point attempt. “It got really tight,” Pegula noted, referring to a tense moment at 4-1 during her service game. “She had a couple really good returns, and then we all saw what she did against Taylor, so I was happy that we’re done.”

With her eyes firmly set on the championship, Pegula continues to impress with her strategic play and composure under pressure as she advances deeper into the tournament.