Jessica Pegula, the No. 3 seed, staged a determined comeback at a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium on 9 September, defeating No. 26 seed Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in 2 hours and 21 minutes to reach the US Open semifinals for the third consecutive year. The victory sets up a highly anticipated clash with No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, in the last four.

Pegula's Historic Resilience

The win marks Pegula's fourth Grand Slam semifinal, having also reached the last four at the Australian Open earlier this year. According to tournament data, she now holds the most three-set wins (90) and comeback wins (48) among WTA Tour players since the start of the decade — a testament to her mental fortitude under pressure.

This is also the US Open 2024 runner-up's most complete season to date. Pegula claimed two titles in Dubai and Charleston and reached finals at three additional events — Cincinnati, Washington D.C., and Berlin — racking up five finals appearances, the most of any WTA player this year.

How the Match Unfolded

The opening set was a scrappy affair for both players. Pegula, in particular, struggled on serve, committing three double faults in a single game and slipping to a 2-4 deficit — a stark contrast to just 10 double faults across her first four matches combined. Navarro capitalised on the wobble, claiming the first set 6-3 on her second set point after surviving a gruelling nearly nine-minute game.

Notably, the 50-minute opening set was far from clean for either player. Navarro herself committed five double faults to just one ace, matching Pegula's serving statistics exactly.

Pegula returned with vastly improved play in the second set. The two players again traded early breaks, but when Navarro hit her first double fault of the set at 30-30 while serving at 4-5, Pegula seized her first set point of the match and converted it cleanly, taking the second set 6-4.

The third set saw Pegula at her most authoritative. She broke Navarro to lead 4-2, held to extend to 5-2, and closed out the match on her second match point, winning 6-3 to seal a place in the semifinals.

The Sabalenka Obstacle

Aryna Sabalenka awaits after the Belarusian dismissed Linda Noskova in a hard-fought quarterfinal, 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (7). The head-to-head record makes for sobering reading for Pegula: she is 4-9 against Sabalenka and has lost to her twice at Flushing Meadows, most recently in the semifinals of last year's US Open. They also met in the 2024 US Open final, with Sabalenka winning 7-5, 7-5.

World No. 1 Within Reach

Beyond the trophy, the stakes in the semifinal are even higher for Pegula. She is one of four players in contention for the world No. 1 ranking — a position she would claim only if she wins the US Open title and Elena Rybakina fails to advance to the semifinals. The semifinal against Sabalenka is therefore as much a ranking battle as it is a quest for a first Grand Slam title.