Jessica Pegula is making waves on the tennis courts once again, proving that setbacks are just stepping stones for a champion. After missing out on key tournaments like the French Open due to injury, Pegula is back to pristine form, letting her racket do all the talking. But her recent victory wasn’t just about reclaiming her spot—it was about something much deeper. Instead of reveling in her comeback with the usual celebrations, Pegula chose to honor her grandparents.

In an All-American clash on Monday, Pegula took over Amanda Anisimova in the finals of the Canadian Open. She looked all poised since the beginning and despite giving away the second set, she dominated the last set to win the match, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. Soon after her sensational campaign in the tournament, the star player dedicated her achievement to her grandparents. 

Speaking in the on-court interview, Pegula said, “If I’m saying that right, I think my grandma is from Montreal, and my grandpa is from Toronto, right? Yeah?” Her grandparents were cheering her up from the stands and looked visibly elated over the success of the star player. Continuing further, she said, “Okay, so I have one in each city, so that’s one for each of you guys.”

For the unversed, Pegula won the title in 2023 as well, where she won against Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets 6-1, 6-0. With the title defense, Pegula became the first woman to win the National Bank Open tournament back-to-back since Martina Hingis defended her title in 2000. The American star was already the first woman to reach two straight finals at the event since Simona Halep did it in 2015 and 2016. 

The latest victory would give the 30-year-old the due confidence and morale boost as she prepares for the US Open. But ahead of the prestigious grand slam, Pegula is determined to break several records on the hard courts of American swing.

Pegula’s title defense at the Canadian Open leaves her on par with Serena Williams and Iga Swiatek 

Pegula dominated the courts fashionably against Anisimova other than the record of winning the title consecutively since 2000, the star athlete also set up new records that put her on par with tennis great Serena Williams and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. After her victory, Pegula became the first player able to defend a WTA-1000 title since Swiatek did it in Rome in 2021 and 2022. She also equaled the records set by Williams.

Pegula is the first American woman to clinch the Canadian Open title at the Toronto venue since Williams did it in 2013. Remember, her victory last year came at the Montreal site. Furthermore, her 10th straight match win at the tournament made Pegula the first woman to register 10 consecutive singles wins at the National Bank Open. Before her, it was Williams who won 14 straight matches from 2011 to 2014.

As she continues her upward trajectory on the hard courts, it would be interesting to see how fascinating her US Open campaign unfolds. Can Jessica Pegula do the same miracle at the US Open too? Well, only time will tell.