Jessica Pegula rallies to defeat Leylah Fernandez at U.S. Open

NEW YORK – The first set was a mess. By the end, Jessica Pegula walked off Arthur Ashe Stadium looking every bit like a contender again.

The third seed dragged herself back from the brink on Friday night, overturning a brutal start to defeat Leylah Fernandez 1-6 6-4 6-3 and reach the fourth round at Flushing Meadows, keeping alive her push for a first Grand Slam title.

For half an hour, it looked like that chase might end with a whimper.

Fernandez flies out of the blocks

Back on the court where she lit up New York in 2021 before losing the final to Emma Raducanu, Fernandez came out swinging. The 23-year-old Canadian took immediate control, stepping inside the baseline and dictating with her left-handed forehand.

She pinned Pegula behind the baseline with heavy, deep groundstrokes, then sliced in changes of pace and angle that left the American scrambling. Pegula never settled. Her timing was off, her serve under pressure, her rallies rushed.

The opening set vanished in 30 minutes. 6-1. One-way traffic.

Pegula, the 2024 runner-up, looked flat, almost stuck in rehearsal mode while Fernandez played under the bright lights.

Pegula steadies, then strikes

The match turned not with a spectacular winner, but with a decision: Pegula refused to retreat any further.

She began to hold her ground on the baseline, taking the ball earlier, cutting down Fernandez’s time. The errors that had flowed in the first set slowed. The rallies lengthened. Pegula’s experience started to show.

The key moment came in the sixth game of the second set. Pegula earned her chance, broke serve, and finally had a foothold. The next game, she dug herself out of trouble with a gritty hold, fending off Fernandez’s response as the Canadian tried to wrestle back the initiative.

Fernandez did mount a push, pressing again late in the set, but Pegula absorbed it. The American held her nerve, closed out the set, and suddenly the match belonged to her racquet.

One set all. Different contest.

Veteran composure in the decider

The third set asked a simple question: who would blink first?

It was Pegula who faced the early crisis. The 32-year-old stared down breakpoints, but this time her serve held firm. She saved them, then immediately turned defense into attack.

At 2-1, the pressure finally told. Fernandez sent a shot wide to hand over the break, and Pegula did not look back. With a 3-1 lead, she tightened her patterns, cut out the loose points, and forced Fernandez to take bigger risks.

The Canadian kept swinging, but Pegula’s composure under fire defined the closing stretch. She managed the scoreboard, picked her moments, and moved efficiently through her service games.

On match point, she chose the perfect finish: a crisp backhand volley winner, punched away to seal the comeback.

From 1-6 down to 6-4 6-3, Pegula had survived and then imposed herself.

Cirstea awaits

Next comes Sorana Cirstea in the last 16, and Pegula knows this level of sluggish start will not always be forgiven. The flaws in her opening set were obvious; the response was what top seeds are supposed to deliver.

She leaves Arthur Ashe with questions about her early rhythm, but with something more important still intact: a live shot at that elusive first major.