In the storied history of the French Open, several legends have left their mark at Roland Garros. Max Decugis dominated the pre-Open Era, winning eight French Championships, a tournament that was then exclusive to French club members. Then we have Suzanne Lenglen, who also excelled in that period, claiming six titles. Just when you think it couldn’t be topped, in the Open Era, Chris Evert emerged as the most successful woman. She secured seven French Open singles titles that stood the test of time until Rafael Nadal broke the record in 2013. Nadal eventually retired with an astonishing 14 French Open titles, and while many would think that record is safe forever, Jessica Pegula disagrees.

On Saturday, Pegula clinched her second title of the 2025 season at the Charleston Open. In an exciting all-American match against the 2020 Australian Open champion, Sofia Kenin, the 31-year-old triumphed with a 6-3, 7-5 victory. This win bumped her up to the No.3 position in WTA rankings, a feat she last achieved in October 2022. But this time, she’s surpassed Coco Gauff as the new American No.1.

Following the match, Pegula sat down with Tennis Channel and spoke about her Charleston Open run. However, they took a detour from tennis to discuss a recent feat made by NHL’s Alex Ovechkin, who surpassed Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all-time leader in goals by scoring his 895th in a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Sunday! This prompted the interviewer to wonder: Does Jessica think someone could “break Rafa’s record one day” of 14 French Open titles?

Well, Jess definitely holds out hope for it! She said, “Hey, you never know. Honestly, we always say ‘never say never.’ I mean, we always think records aren’t supposed to be broken, but they’re meant to be broken. So, it’s really cool.” And it’s a possibility! We have seen records that seemed impossible to break being broken before.

For instance, Novak Djokovic’s impressive 428 consecutive weeks as world No. 1 overthrew Roger’s 310 weeks, demonstrating his enduring excellence alongside his 24 Grand Slam singles titles, matching Margaret Court’s record. While no one has come close to Rafael Nadal’s record at Roland Garros yet, a few have made big strides in this Grand Slam.

Iga Swiatek has been proving her dominance on the clay court. She is the first Pole to win a major singles title and has won four titles at the Roland Garros (2024, 2023, 2022, 2020). Alongside her 2022 US Open win, she doesn’t need to prove further that she’s certainly in the running to break a few records.

Coming back to Jessica, the Charleston final was her fourth appearance in the finals this season. It also marked the first all-American final in Charleston in 35 years – a feat Pegula recognized as the rise of American tennis.

Jessica Pegula on the American players’ dominance in tennis

On Saturday in the Round of 4 at the Charleston Open, Jessica Pegula beat Ekaterina Alexandrova in a thrilling match that saw her come back from a second-set loss to win 6-2, 2-6, 7-5. This victory marked her second consecutive final, after Miami, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka.

As Pegula advanced to the final in Charleston, she couldn’t help but feel thrilled about facing fellow American Sofia Kenin. This all-American showdown marked the first in a Charleston final since 1990, when Martina Navratilova (who became a US citizen in 1981 took down Jennifer Capriati.

Speaking to Tennis Channel post her semifinal match, Pegula exclaimed, “That’s awesome. It just shows the depth that the Americans have right now, especially on the women’s side. There are so many of us, it’s annoying almost!”

She’s right; the American women’s tennis scene is buzzing with talent. Madison Keys, for instance, won her first Grand Slam title this year, marking a significant milestone in her career. Before that, Coco Gauff made history by winning the 2023 U.S. Open at just 19 years old. Pegula is proud to be part of this dynamic group, noting, “There’s just every week there’s someone to root for because there’s usually somebody doing good, and I’m just happy I get to be part of it.”

American tennis once dominated the sport. Navratilova’s nine Wimbledon crowns stand as a testament to her grass-court supremacy, while Bill Tilden’s seven US Championships titles remain unmatched by any American man. Then, there’s Pete Sampras, with 14 Grand Slams under his belt, while Chris Evert’s seven French Open titles remain a benchmark for American women. Not to forget, Serena Williams, with 23 Grand Slams, is the epitome of success.

As the modern gen stars of American tennis rise, the question on everyone’s mind is: will we soon see another record-breaker emerge from this talented pool? Share your thoughts in the comments below!