GUADALAJARA, Mexico - Jessica Pegula(USA), the highest-ranked American female player, won the biggest title of her career at the Guadalajara Open, a WTA 1000-level tournament. In the final, Pegula defeated fourth seed Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and 10 minutes.
On the way to the final, Pegula defeated four Grand Slam winners in a row, Elena Rybakina Bianca Andreescu, Sloane Stephens and Victoria Azarenka.
Pegula rose two places to a career-best No. 3 on Monday. She has already qualified for the 2022 WTA Finals.
“In the other finals I lost, I just feel like I was always a part of someone else’s story” she recalled the feeling of the past.
Has the pain of the loss made her tougher? Maybe yes. She had to save three match points in the match against Rybakina in the second round. Then, she went on a non-stop tear. She lost only 24 games in the next 4 matches.
"Just a lot of emotions, but super excited just to get a big title next to my name. That was something I really wanted this year, and I kept saying it was one of my goals, so to be able to accomplish it at the end of the year is really cool.”
Storm Sanders(AUS) and Luisa Stefani (AUS) have been crowned doubles champions at Guadalajara.
Jessica Pegula, Caroline Garcia (FRA), Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN) and Demi Schuurs (NLD) from Team Yonex are qualified to compete at the WTA Finals starts at the end of October.
Road to the Title
Round of 32: def. Elena Rybakina 2-6, 6-3,7-6
Round of 16: def. Bianca Andreescu 6-4, 6-4
Quarterfinals: def. Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-2
Semifinals: def. Victoria Azarenka 7-6, 6-1
Finals: def. Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3
Pegula’s Gear
Racquet: EZONE 98
Bag: Pro Series Racquet Bag
Overgrip: Super Grap