Jessica Pegula came back from a set down to defeat Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in their US Open quarterfinal on Tuesday night, advancing to her second consecutive semifinal at Flushing Meadows. The world No. 3 overcame early struggles to extend her perfect record against fellow American Navarro to 5-0.
Navarro, seeded 26th, controlled the opening set with aggressive play that put Pegula on the defensive. The younger American capitalized on Pegula's serving difficulties early in the match, breaking serve to take the first set 6-3. But Pegula found her rhythm as the match progressed, using her experience in big moments to turn the tide.
The victory sets up a semifinal rematch between Pegula and top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who earlier defeated Linda Nosková 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 in a grueling three-set battle. Pegula lost to Sabalenka in last year's US Open final, making their upcoming clash a chance for redemption on the sport's biggest stage.
"I'm excited to get another chance at Aryna," Pegula said after the match. "She's been playing incredible tennis, but I feel like I'm in a good place mentally and physically to compete with her."
All-American quarterfinal delivers drama
The Pegula-Navarro quarterfinal marked the first all-American women's quarterfinal at the US Open since 2015, guaranteeing at least one American in the semifinals. Both players have strong ties to the tournament — Pegula as the daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula, and Navarro as the daughter of billionaire businessman Ben Navarro, who owns the Cincinnati Open and Charleston Open.
Navarro's path to the quarterfinals had already been her best Grand Slam result, but she couldn't find the consistency needed to close out the match against the more experienced Pegula. After winning the first set, Navarro struggled with her serve at crucial moments, allowing Pegula to dictate play in the longer rallies.
The scheduling of their match on Arthur Ashe Stadium had drawn some criticism from fans, who questioned whether Navarro's placement on the tournament's premier court was influenced by her father's extensive involvement in professional tennis. Ben Navarro, whose net worth Forbes estimates at more than $3 billion, has reportedly spent over $350 million on tennis-related properties in Charleston.
Sabalenka survives scare from Nosková
Earlier in the day, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was pushed to three sets by Czech player Linda Nosková before prevailing 7-6, 3-6, 7-6. The world No. 1 struggled with her usually dominant serve, hitting multiple double faults at key moments, but managed to close out the match in a tense third-set tiebreak.
Sabalenka is seeking to become the first woman to win three consecutive US Open titles since Serena Williams won three straight from 2012-2014. Her semifinal against Pegula will be a rematch of last year's final, where Sabalenka won in straight sets to claim her first US Open title.
In the men's draw, Frances Tiafoe completed a remarkable comeback victory over Alex Michelsen, winning 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 after trailing by two sets. The 11th seed will face either defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or Ben Shelton in the semifinals, with that quarterfinal match scheduled for Tuesday night.
Pegula will earn $670,000 for reaching the semifinals, bringing her tournament earnings to $1.45 million. If she can defeat Sabalenka and reach her second consecutive US Open final, she would add another $1.35 million to her prize money total.
