Jessica Pegula moved into her fourth Grand Slam semifinal on the day three quarterfinal matches got the 2026 U.S. Open quarterfinals underway at Flushing Meadows. Pegula, the 3 seed, rallied past Emma Navarro after dropping the first set, and now moves on to face Aryna Sabalenka next.
Pegula’s win added another strong chapter to her run at this tournament. It was her third-straight trip to the U.S. Open semifinals, and it came in difficult conditions. After the match, Pegula said, "It means everything today. It was really tough. It was physical, it’s humid. I wasn’t exactly serving my best and I was fighting a lot of demons out there today."
Sabalenka and Tiafoe also advance
Sabalenka, the 1 seed and two-time defending champion, also moved through on the day, beating Linda Nosková in three sets. Frances Tiafoe joined her in the next round after outlasting Alex Michelsen in five sets, with the match decided by a tiebreak.
Sabalenka’s win keeps her on track in New York, while Tiafoe’s result showed the kind of resistance that has made this part of the draw feel wide open. On the women’s side, Pegula’s victory now sets up a meeting with Sabalenka, giving the quarterfinal day an immediate semifinal payoff.
What Pegula’s run means
For Pegula, the result is less about surprise than consistency. Reaching a fourth Grand Slam semifinal is a significant milestone, and doing it at the U.S. Open for a third straight year underlines how well she has handled the pressure of playing at home. Emma Navarro’s earlier fitness issues this season added another layer to the matchup, but Pegula still had to work through a physical, demanding contest to get the job done.
After the match, Pegula also thanked the crowd, saying, "So thank you guys so much for coming out here, and it’s an honour to play in front of you guys. There’s nothing like it. It’s amazing every single time."
With Sabalenka next, Pegula now faces one of the toughest possible follow-up tests at the 2026 U.S. Open. But after another composed comeback, she has already put herself in position to chase even more in New York.
