By Karl Plume
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Jessica Pegula played in her first Grand Slam final in Flushing Meadows on Saturday and despite getting downed by an opponent at the peak of her powers, the top American in women’s tennis feels it will not be her last shot at a major title.
En route to the runner-up finish in a 7-5 7-5 loss to an overpowering world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, Pegula snapped an undesirable winless record in her six previous major quarter-finals appearances.
The breakthrough on Arthur Ashe Stadium’s hard court was a confidence-boosting stepping stone like several others in her career, the 30-year-old told reporters after the women’s final.
“I think I’ve taken confidence from winning a 250, from winning a 1000, from being able to win another 1000. Multiple ones now. Then to be able to be a Grand Slam finalist, I think that was kind of the last thing for me,” Pegula said.
“I made a lot of quarter-finals but can I make a semi? Can I be a contender to actually win a Grand Slam?”
“I lost to girls that pretty much won the tournament every time. I know my level was right there,” Pegula said.
After battling an injury this season that forced her to skip Roland Garros, a more relaxed approach to this year’s U.S. Open provided a lift.
“I handled the moment a little bit better this year … with just having maybe a different perspective of ‘I had a rough start to the year and I didn’t really expect to be doing this well in the hard-court swing.'”
“I was able to kind of flip that script.”
Pegula’s dream run in New York, which will lift her to a career-high-matching No. 3 in the world, spotlights an embarrassment of riches for American women’s tennis.
Compatriot Emma Navarro, who lost to Sabalenka in the semi-final on Thursday, will crack the top-10 while current world No. 3 Coco Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, will only drop a few places after a lackluster showing this year.
(Reporting by Karl Plume in New York; Editing by Sonali Paul)
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