Jessica Pegula Advances to U.S. Open Last 16 After Thrilling Comeback

NEW YORK – Jessica Pegula walked into Arthur Ashe Stadium chasing a first Grand Slam title. For a set, Leylah Fernandez made her look miles away from it.

By the end, Pegula had turned a bruising start into a statement win.

The third seed dug herself out of a deep early hole on Friday night, rallying past the Canadian 1-6 6-4 6-3 to reach the fourth round at Flushing Meadows and keep alive her push for a maiden major crown.

It was a match that began like a rerun of Fernandez’s 2021 magic on this court.

Back on the scene of her breakthrough run to the final three years ago, the 23-year-old flew out of the blocks. She took time away from Pegula from the first ball, stepping inside the baseline, ripping her left-handed groundstrokes and dictating with depth and angle. Pegula, the 2024 U.S. Open runner-up, barely had a foothold.

The opening set flashed by in 30 minutes. Fernandez bossed rallies, changed pace smartly, and kept the American scrambling behind the baseline. Pegula’s timing deserted her, her serve offered little protection, and the scoreboard turned brutal in a hurry: 6-1, Fernandez, with the stadium humming at the prospect of another upset.

Then the match flipped.

Pegula, 32, steadied herself in the second set, shortened her swings and started landing heavier first serves. She stopped trying to out-hit Fernandez and began to outlast her, dragging points into longer exchanges and forcing the Canadian to hit from more uncomfortable positions.

The breakthrough came in the sixth game. Pegula finally prised open Fernandez’s serve, breaking for 4-2 with cleaner returns and a tighter baseline game. The next game turned into a test of nerve. Pegula faced pressure on her own serve but clawed through a crucial hold, refusing to let Fernandez snatch the momentum straight back.

Fernandez did mount a push, threatening a late surge in the set, yet Pegula held her line. The American’s composure, so often the backbone of her rise into the game’s elite, carried her through to a deciding set.

Third Set

The third set became about small margins and big points.

Pegula had to fend off break points early, digging deep to keep her serve intact. Those escapes mattered. At 2-1, with Fernandez pressing again, the Canadian finally blinked. A forehand sailed wide, and Pegula pounced for a 3-1 lead that felt far larger than a single break.

From there, the American tightened the screws. She protected her advantage with more accurate serving, stepped into the court when she saw short balls, and kept Fernandez chasing. The Canadian’s early fire faded into frustration as Pegula reeled off games with a calm efficiency that underlined why she arrived in New York as one of the tournament’s main threats.

Match point captured the transformation. Pegula closed with authority, sealing victory with a crisp backhand volley winner, a forward step to end a night that had begun with her firmly on the back foot.

The scoreline told the story of a turnaround: 1-6 6-4 6-3.

So did the body language. Fernandez walked off knowing she had dominated large stretches but couldn’t sustain it. Pegula left with the satisfaction of surviving a dangerous opponent and the awareness that her level must rise again.

Next comes Sorana Cirstea in the last 16, a different test, but one that will punish any repeat of Friday’s sluggish start. Pegula’s title bid is still intact. The question now is whether this escape sharpens her edge for the battles that lie ahead.