Building upon the rich history of American tennis, Jessica Pegula is at the forefront of a dynamic resurgence. Inspired by her sister, her journey began as an after-school activity, which led to her family’s strategic relocation to Hilton Head, South Carolina, to cultivate her burgeoning talent. At 17, she made her professional debut at the 2011 US Open doubles tournament. Her success, particularly in the last two years, reflects a broader trend of American players thriving, culminating in a strong presence within the WTA top 100 by 2024. Currently, that strength is further underscored by the presence of three Americans in the top 5 of the WTA rankings. Adding to this momentum, she has now achieved another notable feat at the Charleston Open.

On Saturday, Pegula reached her second consecutive and fourth overall final of the 2025 season at the Charleston Open after defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova. She previously ousted defending champion Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals. Although the Russian put up quite a fight, Pegula came back strong from a second set loss to ultimately winning 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.

Speaking to Tennis Channel post-match, Pegula was thrilled to hear that her next opponent would be fellow American Sofia Kenin. This marks the first all-American showdown in a Charleston final since 1990, when Martina Navratilova defeated Jennifer Capriati. How does she feel about that?

Well, Pegula 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.” Perhaps the 31-year-old has a point!

While it’s not “annoying” in the insulting sense, she means that there’s so much to look forward to from the American women players in the last few years.

If she’s not dominating the court, you’ve got Madison Keys, who made it to the semifinals of the Indian Wells Open and won the AO title this year, or Coco Gauff, who at 21 is already a two-time Grand Slam champion; one at the 2023 US Open and a doubles’ title at the 2024 French Open. Not to forget, Emma Navarro won the Merida Open and Taylor Townsend secured two doubles titles at Dubai and the Australian Open this year. Now she’s adding to that list.

As she phrased it, “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.” Since last year, Jessica has shown a remarkable improvement in her form. She reached the finals of the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, then came into 2025 and even won her first title at the ATX Open! Currently, she sits at the No.4 position in the WTA rankings, just behind Gauff and in front of Keys!

It’s not just Pegula who thinks that the American side of the WTA is dominating the courts and charts. Former American pros Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson spoke of the same thing on the ‘Nothing Major’ podcast on April 2. They compared the current ATP’s lack of titles this season to the WTA’s triumph in the past few years, noting, “They have like 23 Slams in the last two decades, maybe more and we have zero. So yeah, they just have dominated.”

While Pegula is excited to face the 2020 Australian Open champion in the finals, it’s more than just another final to her or a step closer to her first Charleston title—but because “An all-American final will be a lot of fun tomorrow.” While American tennis continues to rise, her comrade, Keys, pointed out another exciting tidbit about the WTA’s dominance in regard to age.

Madison emphasizes on “age is just a number” when it comes to playing your best tennis

Madison Keys is still riding high on her historic Australian Open win, where she pulled off a stunning upset against top seed Aryna Sabalenka in a heart-stopping three-set match, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. This victory marked her first Grand Slam title at 29, making her the second-oldest woman to achieve this feat in the Open Era.

On April 2, Keys shared her thoughts with Tennis Channel, revealing that her win has inspired many. “It’s actually amazing,” she said. “I’ve had so many people come up to me and tell me that it was amazing that I did it. Obviously, I did it right before I turned 30, so everyone who is close to 30, 30, or 31 is still playing some of their best tennis.”

Not just that, but Madison draws inspiration from fellow players like Pegula, noting, “I mean, honestly, even Jess last year making her first US Open final, it’s… everyone’s playing their best tennis and I feel like age is just a number and as long as we’re having fun out there and playing well I think it’s some of our best tennis.”

Last year, Pegula became the oldest first-time finalist at the US Open since Flavia Pennetta in 2015. Now she’s looking to win her second title of the 2025 season on April 6. With her consistent performance, will Jessica carry forward the American spirit with another victory? Share your thoughts in the comments below!