(September 2, 2025) FLUSHING, NY – Last year’s US Open finalist is the first to book her spot in the final four in Flushing Meadows. No. 4 Jessica Pegula defeated unseeded Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 6- to reach the semifinals. It’s her second straight year reaching the semis in New York, and her second overall at major tournaments.
She has yet to lose a set in the tournament.
“I thought I played a really solid match again,” said the American. “I thought I came off, or started really hot and kind of was able to keep the momentum, even with a couple of, you know, shifts there in both sets, but I felt like I didn’t quite let her get too comfortable today.
“I thought I started off playing pretty aggressive, making her move a lot, and just kind of pressuring her serve as well. You know, luckily was able to kind of execute that throughout the whole match.”
“I think I’ve gotten somewhat of a favorable draw leading up to today, she added. “I think I haven’t really had to play anyone like matchup-wise as well that has really bothered me a ton, so I think that’s helped.
“But at the same time, I’ve been able to kind of go into those matches and really take care of business. I think that’s also what’s given me a lot of confidence is I’ve had — you know, I’ve played good players, but convincing wins over those players.
“Then today, you know, we know Barbora can play how she plays and she’s super dangerous. There were even moments in the match where she hit some really good shots where I felt like the momentum could have shifted and stuff like that, but I did a good job, again, of playing the score really well, recognizing those moments, the momentum shifts, and I think that’s something I’ve done well throughout every single match, which is kind of giving me the confidence that I’ve needed to work my way all the way to the semis.”
For the Buffalo native, it’s her 43rd match win this year, the 4th fourth player to register 40+ wins in 2025 after Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina.
Has won 3 WTA singles titles this season, at Austin (hard-court), Charleston (clay), and Bad
Homburg (grass) – she is tied with Sabalenka for the most tour titles this year.
Pegula on possibly playing Aryna Sabalenka, the woman she lost to in last year’s US Open final:
“I mean, I think it would be cool to be able to get revenge, obviously. I didn’t even remember the score. I think I saw — was it, like, 5-5 last year? I didn’t even think — I didn’t even remember it being that close, which was kind of funny, because I think after the final I was just so, like, wow, we should be in a third set right now.
“I was very, like — there’s so many things. I was, like, I didn’t serve well. I could have done better. I wasn’t very, Oh, you know, what a great match, I’m happy to be in the finals.
“I literally walked off the court and told my coach, I didn’t serve that well. My serve needs to get better. I didn’t do this well, or I didn’t do that well.
“That’s just the mentality that I have is I tend to look how I can get better so quickly, which is good, but also, in a way, I think coming into this year, seeing the feedback from all the fans and how much support I’ve gotten, I was, like, Wow, actually last year was pretty incredible, and I won’t a crazy run, and I played some girl that just happened to be playing — have an even 5% crazier return than me, winning Cincinnati, beating me in the finals, and then going on to win the US Open. And it was 5-5. I didn’t even know the score, and I was, like, Wow, I was right there.
“So I think this year I’ve come back with a different perspective, knowing that I wasn’t playing well, to really enjoy the fact that, like, this is pretty cool and that I’ve had really good results here, and I have so much support. So that’s been really nice.
“I think going into it if I was playing Aryna again, I would probably have that mentality instead of maybe being so focused on, like, what I have to do so strongly instead of competing and, like, enjoying the crowd a little bit more and enjoying the fact that I’m in this position again to possibly be in another final and I’m playing the best player in the world.”
On possibly playing Marketa Vondrousova next:
“Marketa has been playing some amazing tennis. And, again, it’s so funny with the Czechs. They just kind of like pop in, and they’re just, like, Yeah, we’re just going to, like, go deep this week. Then you don’t see them for like months and then they come back.
“They’re all so nonchalant and, like, so dangerous. I think that’s how I always feel with Marketa. She’s always playing really good tennis, has beaten a lot of really good players already, beaten seeds. Served amazing against Rybakina the other night. So, I mean, she’s shown that she can also beat Aryna. She beat her before at Wimbledon.
“She’s just dangerous, and I think she’s tricky. She’s a lefty. We had a really close match at the French. Haven’t played on hard probably in a while, so I mean, that would be different and kind of interesting. But, again, we’ve had a lot of really tough, close matches. I would take it the same way. Like, it’s not easy, basically.”
More to follow….
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