Jessica Pegula created history as she lifted her second consecutive Charleston Open title after defeating Yuliia Starodubtseva in straight sets. With the win, the American joined the ranks of Serena Williams, Chris Evert, and other legends who have won this title more than once. Pegula even touched upon this remarkable feat after her comprehensive win in Sunday’s final.
Jessica Pegula Reflects on Joining Serena Williams and Chris Evert After Charleston Open Win
Pegula’s campaign in Charleston opened with a grueling 3-hour, 10-minute battle against Yulia Putintseva, immediately signaling the physical test ahead. Three-set wins over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Diana Shnaider, and Iva Jovic followed, highlighting how demanding the campaign was for the 32-year-old.
Yet, any signs of fatigue were nowhere to be seen in Sunday’s final. After briefly falling behind on serve at 2-1, Pegula surged ahead, reeling off five consecutive games to wrap up the opening set in a little over 30 minutes.
Her dominance carried seamlessly into the second set, as she stormed into a commanding 5-0 lead. When serving for the match, she was momentarily checked in a tense, 12-minute game, with Yuliia Starodubtseva fending off three championship points to register her first break of the contest.
Pegula, however, quickly regained control and closed out the victory two games later. She eventually secured an easy 6-2, 6-2 win in an hour and 22 minutes.
The win delivered her second title of the season after Dubai. She also joined the likes of Serena Williams, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, and Tracy Austin, who have won this title more than once. During her post-match press conference, Pegula was asked about joining the ranks of the legends, and she responded:
“Yeah, I was looking at the thing just to see who else has won back-to-back years and I saw Serena, I saw Chrissy won it maybe like four times in a row. Not sure I’m going to be able to do that, but at least I got, back-to-back and I can see my name kind of next to some of those amazing players.”
Pegula said it was special to see her name alongside the legends and also reflected on Chris Evert’s praise following her semifinal win over Jovic. Overall, the 11-time tour title winner was delighted to reach that mark.
“And anytime you can be somewhere in a stat with athletes like that, I think it’s incredible. It’s always fun to look at those things and I saw Chrissy gave me a shoutout the other day as well. And I know Tracy’s been here a lot and I’ve seen her every single day so. It’s just special. Whenever you can creep into a stat belonging with those women, I think you take that and yeah, happy about that,” she added.
MORE: Chris Evert Delights Jessica Pegula With ‘Big Compliment’ Amid Charleston Heroics
Starodubtseva’s breakout run is set to be rewarded with a major rankings surge. She started the week at No. 89 and is projected to climb to a career-high No. 53, surpassing her previous best by 10 spots. The 26-year-old gained direct entry into the main draw after a late withdrawal.
Meanwhile, Pegula will now look to carry that momentum through the rest of the clay-court swing, culminating at the 2026 French Open. A decent 24-4 win-loss record would only add to her confidence.
