American tennis star Jessica Pegula recently reached a milestone that no player had achieved since Serena Williams in 2015. Her commanding straight-sets win over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini at the WTA Finals helped her match that, with her sister Kelly later reacting to the same.
Pegula has showcased her trademark grit at the season-ending event in Riyadh, and her win over Paolini stood out as the most commanding performance, also confirming her spot in the semifinals.
Jessica Pegula’s Sister Kelly Reacts As the American Matches a Major Serena Williams Milestone During the WTA Finals
Pegula capitalized on her first break of serve to move ahead 2–1 in the opener and quickly surged to a commanding 5–1 lead. Although Paolini briefly stopped the slide, the American closed out the set 6-2 inside half an hour and never looked back, maintaining complete control for the remainder of the contest.
The world No. 5 remained untouchable on serve, facing just one break point in the first set before closing out the match 6–3 in the second. With Coco Gauff falling to Aryna Sabalenka later in the day, Pegula’s place in the semifinals was officially sealed. Remarkably, it was also her first straight-sets triumph since Beijing in late September, snapping a run of eight three-set victories.
Beyond her semifinal qualification, Pegula also achieved a milestone last reached by Serena Williams in 2015. Her victory over Paolini marked her 53rd win of the season, making her the first American aged 30 or older to reach that tally since the tennis icon did it a decade ago.
Seemingly overjoyed, Jessica Pegula’s sister, Kelly Pegula, shared this milestone on her Instagram story.
Did Pegula Know the Importance of Her Straight-Set Win Over Paolini at the WTA Finals?
During her post-match on-court interview, Pegula was asked whether she was aware that a straight-sets win over Paolini was essential to remain in semifinal contention. She acknowledged she knew the stakes and likes staying one step ahead, adding that she was determined to do herself every favor by finishing the job in two sets.
“Yes definitely. I like to kind of know, ahead of the time. Regardless of what’s going to happen, you want to go out there and win the match. You’re still playing for some points, money. So that was always at the forefront of my mind. But I definitely knew that I have to do myself all the favors and win in straights today,” she said.
Up next for Pegula is sixth-seeded Elena Rybakina, who is unbeaten so far in Riyadh, including statement wins over Iga Świątek and Amanda Anisimova. The winner of their clash will advance to the final, where the winner of the Sabalenka-Anisimova match awaits.
