Jessica Pegula, the No. 3 seed and sixth-ranked player on the WTA Tour, successfully defended her title at the National Bank Open by overcoming Amanda Anisimova in a thrilling all-American final. Pegula secured a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 victory on Monday, continuing her impressive run at the Canadian tennis championship.
Pegula, hailing from Buffalo, New York, captured the National Bank Open title last year in Montreal and has now extended her record in the tournament to 17-2. This win marks her sixth career title and reinforces her status as one of the top players on the tour.
Amanda Anisimova’s Remarkable Toronto Run: A Historic WTA 1000 Final with Two American Stars
Amanda Anisimova, who has been on a comeback trail after taking a mental health break, entered the week ranked No. 132 in the world. She made a notable run in Toronto, defeating three top-20 players, including No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.
Monday’s final was significant as it was only the second time in the history of the WTA 1000 events—tournaments one tier below the Grand Slams—that two American players faced off in the championship match. The only other instance was in 2016 when Serena Williams defeated Madison Keys in Rome.
Pegula extended her head-to-head record against Anisimova to 3-0, having previously beaten her on clay earlier this season. Last year, Pegula claimed victory over Liudmila Samsonova in the National Bank Open final.
In the match, Pegula took an early lead with a break in the first game and held a 5-3 advantage when Anisimova double-faulted to lose the set. Anisimova rallied in the second set, overcoming a love-40 deficit to break Pegula and eventually win 6-2, handing Pegula her first dropped set of the tournament.
The final marked the first time since Serena Williams’ win over Jennifer Capriati in 2001 that two American women contested the Canadian Open title. Pegula’s win also establishes her as the first player to achieve 10 consecutive wins in women’s singles at the Canadian Open since Serena Williams’ 14-match streak from 2011 to 2014.
