Jessica Pegula Sets Third US Open Clash With Sabalenka

Jessica Pegula reached the US Open semi-finals for another showdown with two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka after beating Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday.

The third-seeded American needed two hours and 20 minutes to overcome Navarro in a tense baseline battle on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Pegula recovered from an early break in the deciding set before completing the comeback.

The victory sets up a third consecutive US Open meeting between Pegula and Sabalenka. The Belarusian defeated Pegula in the 2024 final at Flushing Meadows and repeated the result in last year’s semi-final on her way to a second straight title.

“It was really tough,” Pegula said after a match featuring nine breaks of serve. “It was physical, humid. I wasn’t exactly serving my best and I was fighting a lot of demons out there today.”

Jessica Pegula maintained her perfect record against Navarro, improving to 5-0 against the former world number eight.

Navarro has enjoyed a strong return to form after taking an extended break to focus on health issues. She also ended a title drought of more than a year when she won the Strasbourg title in May.

Pegula arrived in New York with two titles already secured this year. She was also one of three players with a mathematical chance of replacing Sabalenka as world number one during the tournament.

However, Pegula would need to win her first Grand Slam title to have any chance of moving to the top of the rankings.

That ranking battle could be settled before Jessica Pegula and Sabalenka meet on Thursday. Second-ranked Elena Rybakina can take the number one position regardless of other results if she defeats China’s Zheng Qinwen in their quarter-final on Wednesday.

For Pegula, the immediate challenge is clear: she must find a way past Sabalenka, the player who has ended her US Open campaign in each of the last two editions.

Can Jessica Pegula finally overcome Aryna Sabalenka and reach her first Grand Slam final?