NEW YORK — Jessica Pegula has advanced to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open following a decisive 6-4, 6-2 victory over Diana Shnaider. This marks Pegula’s seventh trip to the quarterfinals in a Grand Slam tournament, but she faces a daunting challenge ahead, as she is currently 0-6 in major quarterfinals and will compete against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
The sixth-seeded Pegula, hailing from the United States, is experiencing an impressive run, having won 13 of her last 14 matches on hard courts. This includes back-to-back titles in Canada and a runner-up finish at the Cincinnati Open, where she fell to Aryna Sabalenka.
“There’s definitely been more pressure this year because of my strong performance leading into this tournament,” said Pegula, the oldest player remaining in the women’s draw at 30 years old. “I just want to continue improving and bring my best tennis as I progress through the rounds.”
Swiatek also secured her spot in the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-1 win against No. 16 Liudmila Samsonova, coming back from a 4-all tie to win seven consecutive games. Notably, Swiatek eliminated Pegula in their previous meeting during the 2022 U.S. Open quarterfinals.
Throughout Pegula’s six quarterfinal exits at Grand Slam events, three have been against No. 1 ranked players—twice against Swiatek and once against Ash Barty. Pegula reflected on her experiences, stating, “I’ll draw from those past experiences, but it’s tough. Every match is different depending on the opponent and the conditions.”
In addition to Pegula, Karolina Muchova also moved into the quarterfinals by defeating No. 5 Jasmine Paolini with a score of 6-3, 6-3. Muchova’s next opponent will be No. 22 Beatriz Haddad Maia, who triumphed over Caroline Wozniacki, marking a significant achievement as the first Brazilian woman to reach this stage of the U.S. Open since 1968.
Haddad Maia, a 28-year-old left-hander, overcame a previous 10-month suspension due to a doping violation in 2019. She reached the semifinals of the French Open last year but had not progressed beyond the second round at the U.S. Open until now.
Muchova’s successful comeback follows a serious wrist surgery in October after her breakthrough year, where she progressed to the finals in Paris and the semifinals in New York. “This was my worst injury, but my love for the sport kept me motivated. I’m just incredibly happy to be here,” Muchova said.
In men’s competition, No. 1 Jannik Sinner overcame No. 14 Tommy Paul in straight sets, setting up a quarterfinal clash with 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev, who dominated Nuno Borges in a match interrupted by a fire alarm.
No. 25 Jack Draper made history as the first British man to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals since Andy Murray in 2016. Draper celebrated his achievement following a straight-sets victory over Tomas Machac and will face No. 10 Alex de Minaur next.
Pegula’s win against the 18th-seeded Shnaider was marked by her twelve aces and overall control during the match, where she faced notable resistance but emerged victorious. “My movement has really improved, which has helped my consistency and performance,” Pegula stated. “My serving has been strong, enabling me to handle challenging moments effectively.”
