Jessica Pegula refuses to go away.
The American star came from a set down against fellow American Emma Navarro to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and book her place in the US Open semifinals for the third consecutive year.
But now comes the really difficult part.
Waiting for Pegula is world No. 1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
And if history is anything to go by, Pegula has a serious problem on her hands.
Pegula Had to Fight Her Way Back
This wasn’t an easy night for the 32-year-old.
Navarro came out aggressively and took the opening set 6-3. Pegula was struggling with her serve and couldn’t find the consistency she needed early in the match.
But instead of panicking, she slowly turned things around.
Pegula grabbed the second set 6-4, then took control of the deciding set.
At 3-2 in the third, she finally broke Navarro to take a 4-2 lead.
From there, Pegula didn’t let the opportunity slip.
She closed out the set 6-3 and secured another trip to the final four in New York.
50 Wins? Pegula Is Having a Season
There’s another impressive number hiding behind this victory.
The win was Pegula’s 50th of the 2026 season, making her the first woman on tour to reach that mark this year.
And this isn’t some random hot streak.
Pegula has already won titles in Dubai and Charleston and reached five finals this season, more than any other WTA player. She also made the Australian Open semifinals earlier this year.
Now she’s three wins away from something she’s never accomplished:
winning a Grand Slam.
But Sabalenka Is Waiting
And this is where the story gets spicy.
Sabalenka survived her own quarterfinal battle, edging Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 to reach her sixth straight US Open semifinal.
The defending champion is chasing something enormous — a third consecutive US Open title.
Pegula knows exactly how dangerous Sabalenka can be.
She’s 4-9 against the world No. 1 and has already lost to her twice at the US Open.
Sabalenka defeated Pegula in the 2024 US Open final, then beat her again in last year’s semifinal.
So this isn’t just another semifinal.
It’s unfinished business.
Pegula Has a Chance to Change the Story
Pegula has reached the US Open final before, losing to Sabalenka in 2024.
Now she’s back.
But this time, she’s older, more experienced and playing some of the best tennis of her career.
She also knows exactly what stands between her and another Grand Slam final.
Sabalenka.
And the stakes could be even bigger.
Pegula is one of four players still in contention for the No. 1 ranking. She would take the top spot if she wins the tournament and Elena Rybakina fails to reach the semifinals.
The Rematch Is Set
Pegula survived Navarro.
Sabalenka survived Noskova.
Now they’re going head-to-head again in New York.
One woman is trying to finally capture her first Grand Slam.
The other is trying to make history with a third straight US Open championship.
Pegula vs Sabalenka.
We’ve seen this movie before.
But this time, Pegula is hoping for a very different ending.
