US Open 2024: Jessica Pegula’s 3 Milestones Achieved By Reaching Final

Jessica Pegula defeated Karolina Muchova in a thrilling three-set battle to secure her spot in the 2024 US Open final. With this victory, she ensured that the legacy of American women’s tennis at Flushing Meadows continued, following Coco Gauff’s title win last year.

Jessica Pegula, seeded sixth, lost the first set 6-1 and faced an early break in the second, trailing 2-0. However, with the crowd rallying behind her, she found her rhythm and staged a remarkable comeback, winning the match 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.

By reaching her first-ever Major final, Jessica Pegula accomplished several milestones.

3 milestones achieved by Jessica Pegula by reaching US Open Final

1. Third Woman in Open Era to Win a US Open Semifinal After Losing the First Set 1-6

In the Open Era, only two women before Jessica Pegula managed to win a US Open semifinal after losing the first set 1-6. Svetlana Kuznetsova first accomplished this in 2004 when she overcame Lindsay Davenport in the semifinal and later won the title by defeating Elena Dementieva.

Victoria Azarenka was the second, to achieve this feat in 2020. She came back against Serena Williams in the semifinal after losing the first set 6-1 but ultimately fell to Naomi Osaka in the final, despite winning the first set.

2. Jessica Pegula Becomes the Fourth Woman to Reach All Three Finals in North American Hard-Court Swing

The North American hard-court season is defined by three key tournaments: the Canadian Open, the Cincinnati Open, and the US Open. Only three women—Rosemary Casals, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, and Serena Williams—had reached the finals of all three events in one season before Jessica Pegula.

In 1970, Casals reached all three finals but couldn’t win any. Goolagong, on the other hand, claimed titles in Cincinnati and Canada in 1973 but lost the US Open final to Margaret Court. Serena Williams won the Canadian title in 2013, reached the Cincinnati final, and later claimed the US Open crown.

This year Jessica Pegula has been in stellar form. She successfully defended her Canadian Open title by defeating Amanda Anisimova and reached the Cincinnati final, losing to Aryna Sabalenka. She now faces Sabalenka once again in the US Open final.

3. Oldest American Woman to Reach a First Major Final

At 30 years and 193 days, Jessica Pegula became the oldest American woman to qualify for her maiden Major final in the Open Era. Prior to this tournament, she had never advanced beyond the quarterfinals in a Grand Slam, suffering defeats at the hands of Jennifer Brady, Ashleigh Barty, Victoria Azarenka, and Iga Swiatek.

However, this year’s US Open was different for Jessica Pegula. In the quarterfinals, she overcame World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in straight sets, a breakthrough that led her to her first-ever Major semifinal and, eventually, her maiden final.

Also Read: Aryna Sabalenka Storms Into Second Straight US Open Final