Jessica Pegula produced one of the most astonishing comebacks this week at the Wuhan Open, outlasting World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling three-set semifinal battle. After rallying from a set, Pegula turned the tables to secure a dramatic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) victory.
Pegula entered the draw as the sixth seed and came into the week looking to regain her top form after a string of mixed results earlier in the season. Her run in Wuhan, however, marked a turning point.
How Did Jessica Pegula Halt Aryna Sabalenka’s Winning Streak at the Wuhan Open?
After receiving a first-round bye as one of the top eight seeds, Pegula found herself immediately tested in the second round by fellow American Hailey Baptiste. The two battled for nearly three hours before Pegula edged through in a tense 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(8) victory.
From there, the Buffalo native hit her stride. She dispatched ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 and followed up with a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over Kateřina Siniaková to reach the semifinals.
But her next opponent presented an entirely different challenge. Sabalenka, the reigning World No. 1 and a three-time champion in Wuhan, had been untouchable at the event, carrying a 20-match winning streak.
When Pegula dropped the opening set 2-6 and fell behind 2-5 in the decider, few expected a turnaround. Yet, she broke Sabalenka’s serve three times to force a tiebreak. Pegula then closed out the match 7-6(2) in two hours and 19 minutes to hand Sabalenka her first-ever defeat at the tournament.
BREATHTAKING 💪
Jess Pegula battles back from a set down against Sabalenka to win the deciding tiebreak 7-2. An absolute classic in Wuhan!
#WuhanOpen pic.twitter.com/bEXfnfZKnC— wta (@WTA) October 11, 2025
“I think I was able to raise my level in times when I really needed it. It was tight closing it out, but I just hung in there and kept giving myself chances, and I think did a great job of adapting my strategy and my play based on how the match was going and how I was feeling, and I’m really proud of being able to do that and execute that,” Pegula said after the match.
In the aftermath of the match, Pegula took to Instagram to share her reaction to her roller-coaster win. Posting a series of on-court photos from the match, the American captioned her post, “How do you play 2 sets? Asking for a friend. See you guys in the final 🫶🏼.”
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The witty caption was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that eight of Pegula’s nine matches during the Asian swing have gone to three sets.
Pegula’s triumph over Sabalenka earned her a spot in an all-American final against compatriot Coco Gauff, marking the first time the two had met in a championship match despite their well-known doubles partnership. This is going to be their seventh meeting on the WTA Tour, with Pegula holding a 4-2 lead in their head-to-head record.