Jessica Pegula Dominates Sofia Kenin at US Open

Jessica Pegula barely broke a sweat. Sofia Kenin barely had a look.

In 56 brisk minutes on Arthur Ashe, the No. 3 seed dismantled the former Australian Open champion 6-3, 6-1, marching into the US Open third round for the seventh consecutive year and tightening her grip on a potential rise to World No. 1.

Pegula’s equation in New York is simple, if not easy: win her first Grand Slam title and hope Elena Rybakina falls before the semifinals. On this evidence, she’s doing her part. The American improved to 47-12 on the season and 5-2 against Kenin, turning what used to be a tense, three-set rivalry into a one-way street.

Their first four meetings, from 2016 to 2021, all went the distance. This one never threatened to.

“Every match we've played throughout the years has been very tough,” Pegula said on court. “Sonya's given me a lot of trouble in the past, she's a great player and a champion. I was just trying to stay focused on what I needed to do, and luckily was able to be pretty efficient out there today.”

Efficient is one word. Ruthless is another.

Serve as a statement

Pegula arrived at this US Open talking quietly about the work she’s put into her serve. The numbers now speak loudly for her.

In the first round against Elena-Gabriela Ruse, she dropped only seven points on serve. Against Kenin, she hit the same mark: just seven points conceded behind her delivery, no break points faced, five more aces added to her tournament tally for a total of nine.

“I'm going for my spots,” she explained. “I'm going pretty big on second serves, I'm trying to mix up where I'm going and just trust that I can hit good serves in the moment. That's been a lot of work we've done off court, so really excited when I can practise something and it pays off in the match.”

The serve set the tone, but it was the return that broke Kenin’s resistance. The opening break came on a Kenin double fault, yet the match turned into a showcase of Pegula’s discipline and depth on the second shot.

The pressure told early in the second set. Pegula ground through a long return game, finally converting her fourth break point to go up 2-0. From there, she stepped in even harder, drilling backhand returns to grab the double break for 4-0 and strip any remaining suspense from the contest.

By the time Kenin found a foothold, the scoreboard had already turned into a verdict.

A familiar foe awaits

Next comes a very different challenge, and a familiar one.

Pegula, the 2024 US Open runner-up, now faces the 2021 runner-up, No. 31 seed Leylah Fernandez, in a third-round clash that feels bigger than its number on the schedule. Fernandez, who had not won a Grand Slam match all year before arriving in New York, has rediscovered some of her old edge this week. She beat Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-4, 6-1 to reach the third round here for the third time.

Pegula leads their head-to-head 3-1, all on North American outdoor hard courts. The most recent meeting was a one-sided 6-2, 6-2 win for Pegula in Miami earlier this season. But she knows better than to read too much into that.

“I think she's tough to play,” Pegula said in press. “She plays a little bit unorthodox, likes to use her forehand and take the ball super early. When she's feeling it, it can be really tough to play against.

“I have had situations where I feel like I've played well against her and done well, but then sometimes if she's on and you start a little slow, she can really be super-aggressive and it's tricky to play against.

“It's hard. And then on top of that, being a lefty and returning her serve I think is always another hard part. There is definitely some stuff I'm going to have to work on and address probably tomorrow, and then hopefully I'm able to play well against her in the next round.”

Pegula walks into that match with form, confidence, and a serve that suddenly looks like a genuine weapon. Fernandez brings chaos, angles, and the memory of a deep run in this stadium.

One of them is chasing a first Slam and the No. 1 ranking. The other is trying to relight the spark of 2021.

New York will decide whose story gathers speed.