Jessica Pegula has already played several matches at the 2025 US Open…
Competing in the new-look US Open mixed doubles event alongside British star Jack Draper, Pegula qualified for the semifinals.
Pegula and Draper looked like worthy number-one seeds during day one, winning their opening two matches without dropping a set, but didn’t have things all their own way on day two.
Taking on the talented duo of Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud for a place in the final, Pegula and Draper narrowly fell short, losing in three sets, 5-3, 3-5, [8-10].
Now switching her focus to the singles event, Pegula has admitted she’s found preparations for the 2025 US Open ‘weird’.
Jessica Pegula has found the transition from mixed doubles to singles ‘weird’
During her pre-tournament press conference, Pegula was asked to recall what the last 48 hours had been like, transitioning from mixed doubles to singles.
“Yeah, it was a little weird. We lost, and the matches went kind of late. We didn’t even get to the last match,” she said.
“Had to practice the next morning. And yeah, feels weird.
“Switching back to the regular duty balls for the women was also a little tricky. Playing outside yesterday, it was really cold and windy.
“Definitely, yesterday I felt like I had to reset a little bit to get back into the conditions.
“But I have multiple days before I play, so it’s not that big of a deal. I was practicing days before that, too. So all good.”
The 31-year-old felt weird playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium before the singles tournament had started, but is looking forward to returning to the venue for her first-round match.
“It definitely is a little bit of a weird kind of experience playing on Ashe with such great energy. But at the same time, I’ll be back there Sunday night,” said Pegula.
“You know, I have to say it’s probably good prep for me to be, you know, used to those crowds and that condition.”
Pegula will play her US Open first-round match on Sunday, August 24, against Egypt’s Mayar Sherif.
The pair have yet to play one another on the WTA Tour, although Sherif has a 0-4 record at Flushing Meadows.
It’s tough to imagine Pegula losing her opening match, considering the success she’s enjoyed at the US Open over the past few years.
Jessica Pegula’s US Open record
After winning her debut Grand Slam main draw match at the 2015 US Open, Pegula didn’t win another match in New York for five years.
Since then, the American has reached at least the third round every year, enjoying a career-best performance last time around.
- 2015 US Open – Jessica Pegula lost in 2R
- 2016 US Open – Jessica Pegula lost in 1R
- 2019 US Open – Jessica Pegula lost in 1R
- 2020 US Open – Jessica Pegula lost in 3R
- 2021 US Open – Jessica Pegula lost in 3R
- 2022 US Open – Jessica Pegula lost in QF
- 2023 US Open – Jessica Pegula lost in 4R
- 2024 US Open – Jessica Pegula lost in F
Making her eighth main draw appearance at the US Open in 2024, Pegula competed as the number-six seed.
Immediately finding her best tennis, the home-favorite reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set, taking down Shelby Rogers, Sofia Kenin, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, and Diana Shnaider.
Producing one of the shocks of the year, Pegula defeated world number one Iga Swiatek to advance to her first-ever major semifinal.
It looked like that would be as far as she would go when Pegula lost the first set of her semifinal match against Karolina Muchova 1-6, before she produced an impressive comeback.
Advancing in three sets, Pegula secured her place in the US Open final, moving herself within touching distance of the title.
Awaiting her in the final was Aryna Sabalenka, the 2023 runner-up, who had already picked up a Grand Slam title earlier in the year, winning in Melbourne.
Unfortunately for Pegula, she couldn’t stop Sabalenka from winning another, as she fell in straight sets, 5-7, 5-7.
Pegula will no doubt have learned a lot from her maiden Grand Slam final, knowledge she’ll look to use should she return to the championship match in 2025.
Any talk of finals is, of course, premature, as Pegula will first focus on her opening match against Sherif on Sunday, August 24.
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