“I’m just tough,” Jessica Pegula proclaimed two years ago at the Charleston Open. Today, she’s proving it by becoming a consistent powerhouse in tennis! Pegula has conquered the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slams, including three consecutive Australian Open appearances and a thrilling US Open final in 2024. Her impressive record stands at 454-254 in singles and 243-143 in doubles, with seven titles in each discipline. After facing a rib injury that cast her aside for the entire European clay season last year, to making it to her fourth finals appearance of the season in Charleston today, she’s come a long way! As someone who’s seen Jessica’s rise closely, what does Shelby Rogers have to say about this?

Following her appearances in Adelaide, Austin (where she took home the title), and Miami, Pegula is looking stronger than ever. During the Tennis Channel Live Podcast, Shelby highlighted “the most underrated thing” about Jessica’s form this year.

She said, “She’s been able to be so consistent for a few years now. Making consistently quarterfinals, semifinals, staying around to the later stages of the tournaments, and she’s able to bounce back week to week with all the variety and the adaptations that it takes.”

On Saturday, Pegula defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 in the Charleston Open semifinals. She overcame a 4-2 deficit in the third set to secure the win! Shelby added, “We saw nothing different today; she was able to adjust, fight through the wind, some really difficult conditions—she called it ‘ugly tennis,’ which is what the top players do best.” But why did Pegula say that?

Pegula’s victory over Alexandrova was particularly sweet, as it marked her first win against the Russian since 2021, following two recent defeats. In her press conference, she referenced those losses and highlighted the challenging conditions in Charleston.

“It was super windy, especially on that one side and it was a lot of uncomfortable shots, footwork, just awkward kind of situations, so it was kind of hard to balance yourself with playing aggressive and playing with some margin with the wind,” she said.

Her path to the final was impressive. She began by defeating Iryna Shymanovich, dropping just three games, then beat Ajla Tomljanović 6-3, 6-2. She followed this by taking down reigning champion Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals. Rogers believes this ability to perform under pressure is a hallmark of top players. “They play their B, C, even D game sometimes and find a way to win,” the former pro noted, which is exactly what the World No. 4 did.

Now, Pegula is gearing up to face fellow American Sofia Kenin in the final, that has achieved a significant milestone for Americans.

Jessica opens up about the rise of American tennis through the WTA

Jessica Pegula is on a roll, and her excitement is palpable as she gears up to face fellow American Sofia Kenin in the Charleston Open final. This historic matchup marks the first all-American showdown in a Charleston final since 1990, when Martina Navratilova defeated Jennifer Capriati. Pegula’s reaction to this news was nothing short of thrilled!

Speaking to Tennis Channel after the match, she said, “That’s awesome. It just shows the depth that the Americans have right now, especially on the women’s side. There’s so many of us, it’s annoying almost.” She means it in the best possible way, highlighting the incredible talent pool among American women in tennis.

Madison Keys, for instance, made it to the semifinals of the Indian Wells Open and won the Australian Open title this year. Coco Gauff, at just 21, is already a two-time Grand Slam champion, with titles at the 2023 US Open and a doubles title at the 2024 French Open. Not just that, but Emma Navarro’s win at the Merida Open and Taylor Townsend’s doubles titles at Dubai and the Australian Open further underscore the depth of American talent.

As Pegula noted, “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.”

With her finals match at Charleston just hours away, the question on everyone’s mind is: Will she succeed in winning her second title of the season and keep up her impressive streak? We’d love to know what you think!