Jessica Pegula's Resilient Comeback Against Leylah Fernandez at U.S. Open
Jessica Pegula’s pursuit of a first Grand Slam title is still alive, but only after she walked a tightrope on Arthur Ashe Stadium and refused to fall.
The third seed clawed her way back from a brutal start to beat Leylah Fernandez 1-6 6-4 6-3 on Friday, booking her place in the U.S. Open fourth round and reminding the field why she remains one of the most dangerous players in the draw.
First Half
For half an hour, it looked like a mismatch.
Back on the court where her 2021 dream ended in the final against Emma Raducanu, Fernandez came out playing as if she owned the place. The 23-year-old Canadian struck first, struck hard and barely missed. Her left-handed forehand ripped through the court, her depth pinning Pegula behind the baseline, her changes of pace and angle pulling the American into every uncomfortable corner Flushing Meadows can offer.
Pegula could not find a foothold. She struggled to land first serves, leaked errors off both wings and never settled into any rhythm. Fernandez, feeding off the memories of that breakout run three years ago, swept through the opening set in just 30 minutes, 6-1, and looked in complete control.
Match Change
Then the match changed.
Pegula, 32 and seasoned by years of near-misses at the majors, steadied herself. The strokes shortened. The feet moved quicker. The body language hardened. She began to hold serve with authority, then finally made a dent on the Fernandez delivery, breaking in the sixth game of the second set.
That single break carried weight. Pegula followed it with a gritty, nervy hold, fending off a push from Fernandez that threatened to flip the set back. The Canadian did mount a response, pressing again late in the set, but Pegula’s composure held. The American closed out the second 6-4, and suddenly the momentum that had belonged entirely to Fernandez was gone.
Decider
The decider became a test of nerve.
Early in the third, Pegula stared down break points that could have dragged her right back into trouble. She saved them, leaning on her serve and refusing to give Fernandez a free look at the match. The escape proved pivotal. At 2-1, the pressure swung the other way and this time Fernandez blinked, sending a shot wide to hand Pegula the break and a 3-1 lead.
From there, the world tilted in Pegula’s direction. She began to dictate more rallies, stepping inside the baseline and taking time away from Fernandez, who had spent so much of the first set doing exactly that to her. The American protected her advantage with clean, efficient service games, shutting down any hint of a late surge.
When match point arrived, Pegula didn’t flinch. She moved forward, cut off the ball and finished with a crisp backhand volley winner, sealing a comeback that said as much about her resilience as it did about her shot-making.
The scoreline — 1-6 6-4 6-3 — tells the story of a slow start and a strong recovery. The performance tells something else: Pegula can absorb a storm, adjust, and still find a way through.
Next comes Sorana Cirstea in the last 16, and Pegula will know she cannot afford another sluggish opening. But on a day when her game misfired early, she still found the answers. In the second week of a Slam, that kind of survival instinct often matters as much as any weapon in the racket bag.
