Pegula beats top favorite Swiatek, four Americans reach US Open singles semifinals

Jessica Pegula reached a major career milestone by defeating world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals of the US Open, reaching her first ever Grand Slam semifinal with a convincing 6-2 6-4 victory. Her victory made it the first time that there were two American Grand Slam semifinalists in both the men’s and women’s singles since the 2003 US Open.

Wednesday’s US Open victory was especially meaningful for Pegula, who had previously been 0-6 in the Grand Slam quarterfinals. With pressure mounting and questions lingering about her inability to advance beyond this stage, she finally got her breakthrough in New York. “Finally I can say, ‘semifinalist,'” the sixth seed exclaimed as she addressed the crowd with visible relief after securing the victory. The win ends Swiatek’s dominance, who had not lost a service game in her previous three matches.

In the quarterfinals, Swiatek struggled from the start as Pegula broke her serve twice for an early 4-0 lead. Swiatek’s forehand, normally a weapon, was her undoing, contributing to an astonishing 41 unforced errors, 22 of which came from that side. Pegula, on the other hand, played an exceptionally clean match, committing only 22 unforced errors and using her sharp defense to make Swiatek work for every point. Swiatek’s desperation was clearly visible as she showed visible signs of frustration, slamming her Tecnifibre racquet into the top of the net and missing key opportunities to change the momentum.

With the win, Pegula now faces unseeded Karolina Muchova, another player who has yet to drop a set in the tournament. Both women are aiming for their first ever Grand Slam final. Pegula defeated Muchova earlier this year and will be looking to repeat that success, but she remains cautious and acknowledges the threat Muchova poses.

Pegula’s victory not only boosts her career, but also puts American tennis in the spotlight. This is the first Grand Slam with two American semifinalists in the men’s and women’s divisions since the 2003 US Open (Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick; Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati).

With Emma Navarro facing world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the other women’s semifinal, and Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe battling it out in the men’s event, the US Open has truly become a platform for American players to shine. Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe will play each other on Friday in the first Grand Slam semifinal between two American men since the 2005 US Open (Andre Agassi v. Robby Ginepri), with the winner becoming the first American men’s singles finalist at a Grand Slam since Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009 and at the US Open since Roddick in 2006.