Jessica Pegula battled back from a set and a break down to defeat Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, securing her spot in the U.S. Open final. Facing adversity on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Pegula found herself on the brink of defeat but clawed her way back into the match. She cited a critical moment when Muchova missed a volley, shifting the momentum in her favor.
“She made me look like a beginner,” Pegula said. “I was about to burst into tears because it was embarrassing… I was able to just hold it to that game.”
Pegula’s tenacity shone through as she reeled off 12 of the last 16 games, weathering Muchova’s relentless shot-making. The 30-year-old New Yorker’s victory marks a significant turning point in her career, pushing past the “quarterfinalist” label she had carried for years.
Now set to face Aryna Sabalenka in the final, Pegula isn’t the favorite, but she has proven she can handle pressure. Despite her billionaire family background, Pegula’s success comes from grit and determination, not privilege. She’s won 15 of her last 16 matches and is ready to seize the moment on the sport’s biggest stage.
Pegula at the U.S. Open, ranking, and results in 2024
Now ranked no.6, the American achieved an overall 36-11 match record in 2024. The American is now competing at the U.S. Open where she managed to beat the world no.356 Shelby Rogers 6-4 6-3, the world no.54 Sofia Kenin 7-6(4) 6-3, the world no.74 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-3 6-3, the world no.18 Diana Shnaider 6-4 6-2
, the world no.1 Iga Swiatek 6-2 6-4 and the world no.52 Karolina Muchova 1-6 6-4 6-2.Jessica Pegula will come up against the world no.2 Aryna Sabalenka in the final. The head to head is 5-2 for Sabalenka.
Jessica clinched 2 titles in 2024 in Berlin and Toronto. The American reached the final in Cincinnati (Western & Southern Open).
Jessica won 7 titles in her career: 6 on hard courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of her titles)
Karolina Muchova in 2024
Currently ranked no.52, Karolina played her last match on the 5th of September when she was overcome by world no.6 Jessica Pegula 1-6 6-4 6-2 in the semifinal of the U.S. Open (draw).
Currently, during this year the Czech owns a compiled 12-5 match record. Karolina Muchova’s most significant accomplishment of the current year was reaching the final in Palermo.
Jessica Pegula and Karolina Muchova fought against each other just on 2 occasions. Their actual record is 2-0 for Pegula. The last time they played each other, Jessica Pegula won 1-6 6-4 6-2 in the semifinal in New York (U.S. Open) on the 5th of September 2024.
Here the video highlights.
Jessica Pegula and Karolina Muchova |
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