Jessica Pegula has finally broken through to her first Grand Slam semifinal after years of disappointment. The American star, who had previously reached six Grand Slam quarterfinals only to lose each time, ended her run of heartbreak by defeating world No. 1 Iga Świątek 6-2, 6-4 at the US Open.
Pegula, who lost to Świątek at the same stage in 2022, reflected on her journey. “I’ve lost a lot of times, but to great players. I kept getting asked when I’d finally win a quarterfinal, and now I’ve done it. I’m so relieved to be in the semifinals,” she said.
Pegula’s victory was a tactical masterclass, as she kept Świątek off balance with deep, flat shots and patiently waited for opportunities to attack. Her solid defense also neutralized Świątek’s aggressive groundstrokes. Meanwhile, Świątek struggled throughout the match, committing 41 unforced errors and failing to find her rhythm on serve.
On the men’s side, top seed Jannik Sinner secured his place in the semifinals with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Daniil Medvedev. Sinner’s speed and powerful baseline play overwhelmed Medvedev, who was plagued by 57 unforced errors. The match had momentum swings, with Medvedev dominating the second set before Sinner regained control.
With this win, Sinner became the only Grand Slam champion remaining in the men’s draw following the early exits of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, now aims to claim his second Grand Slam title.
Sinner will face Britain’s Jack Draper in the semifinals. Both players, aged 22, have known each other since their junior days and are good friends off the court. “It’s going to be a tough match,” Sinner said. “He hasn’t dropped a set yet, so he’s playing really well. We’ll see what happens in a few days.”
Pegula, now in the semifinals alongside her compatriots Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, will face unseeded Karolina Muchova next. This marks the first time since 2003 that multiple American men and women have reached the semifinals at the US Open.
