The Cincinnati Open crowd is in for a mouth-watering all-American clash between Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro in the third round on Monday, August 17. Pegula is competing as the third seed, while Navarro is the 25th seed in the women’s singles draw.
Both players received a bye into the second round, where Navarro completed a comeback against Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina, winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, while Pegula cruised past Switzerland’s Simona Waltert 6-3, 6-2.
Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula Gear Up for Their Fourth Career Meeting at the Cincinnati Open
Pegula, the 2024 finalist, enters the tournament following a fourth-round exit at the Canadian Open. The 32-year-old began her North American swing at the Mubadala DC Open, where she reached the final against eventual champion Alexandra Eala despite arriving at the tournament feeling unprepared and unwell.
She won her first two matches in Canada but ultimately felt “run down” by the quick turnaround from Washington, D.C., to Toronto before falling to Diana Shnaider in straight sets. During her recent appearance on the Tennis Channel, Jessica Pegula revealed that she put together a quick one-week training drill focused on her movement and athleticism ahead of her Cincinnati Open opener.
The 2026 season has been a rewarding one for Pegula, who claimed her fourth WTA 1000 title at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February before successfully defending her Charleston Open crown in April. The World No. 3 also reached the final in Berlin during the grass-court swing before another final stint in Washington, D.C.
Emma Navarro’s season, meanwhile, has been far less straightforward. The 25-year-old endured several early exits before stepping away from the tour in March to prioritize her mental health while also dealing with health concerns.
Navarro returned at the Italian Open in May and revealed that she had been battling health issues for “a year and a half.” Sports anchor Chris McKendry later reported that the American was managing hypothyroidism, a condition that can affect the body’s metabolism.
Despite those struggles, Navarro quickly returned to winning ways, capturing the WTA 500 title in Strasbourg before reaching the final of the Nottingham Open. Her overall results and consistency, however, have remained far from ideal, with the 25-year-old holding a 21-18 win-loss record this season.
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Navarro enters the Cincinnati Open, owned by her father, billionaire Ben Navarro, after suffering early exits at the Mubadala DC Open and Canadian Open. She will be seeking her first win over Pegula, having lost all three of their previous meetings. Her victory over Kalinina also marked her first-ever match win in Cincinnati.
