Pegula beats Navarro to set third straight US Open semifinal
Jessica Pegula came from a set and a break down to defeat Emma Navarro, securing her 50th win of 2026 and a third consecutive US Open semifinal against
Jessica Pegula defeated Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a US Open quarterfinal on Tuesday night. The American's 50th win of the season books a third straight semifinal meeting in New York with top seed Aryna Sabalenka.
Pegula, the No. 3 seed, lost the first set and then fell behind by a break in the deciding third set. She broke back immediately and did not lose another service game, sealing victory after two hours and 16 minutes. The 32-year-old described a difficult internal battle on court.
"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," Pegula said afterwards. She credited the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd for their support, calling it an honor to play in front of them.
Comeback Queen
This victory extended Pegula's remarkable record in matches where she has trailed. Since the start of 2020, no player on the WTA Tour has won more matches from a losing position (48) or more three-set matches (90). Her win over Navarro was her fourth consecutive three-set victory at this tournament.
Pegula's path to the quarterfinals included these results:
| Opponent | Seed | Round | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elena-Gabriela Ruse | - | First | 6-3, 6-2 |
| Sofia Kenin | WC | Second | 6-3, 6-1 |
| Leylah Fernandez | 31 | Third | 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
| Sorana Cirstea | 16 | Fourth | 6-3, 6-4 |
A Landmark Season
This is Pegula's 50th match win of the 2026 season, making her the only woman to reach that mark this year. The semifinal appearance is her fourth at a Grand Slam, all achieved on hard courts. She also joins an elite group, becoming the fifth player aged 30 or over in the Open era to reach three or more consecutive US Open semifinals, after Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Flavia Pennetta and Serena Williams.
Asked about her sustained improvement into her thirties, Pegula pointed to self-belief and mindset. "I think I do a great job of having a short term memory, so I know that every time I come out, no matter what, I just have to tell all the negative me to shut up and just play tennis and compete and battle," she explained.
Navarro's Run Ends
For Emma Navarro, the No. 26 seed ranked 27th in the world, the defeat ended a run to her fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal. She had notable wins over No. 7 seed Karolina Muchova and No. 21 seed Anna Kalinskaya earlier in the tournament. The loss to Pegula was her fifth in as many career meetings against the higher-ranked American.
Sabalenka Awaits Again
The semifinal sets up a now-familiar US Open clash. Aryna Sabalenka beat Pegula in the 2024 final and again in the 2025 semifinal. The Belarusian leads their overall head-to-head 9-4, though Pegula won their most recent meeting on grass in Berlin earlier this season. Sabalenka advanced by defeating Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (7) in her quarterfinal. Sabalenka must win the US Open title to retain the world No. 1 ranking.
The other women's quarterfinals, featuring Mirra Andreeva against Coco Gauff and qualifier Qinwen Zheng against Elena Rybakina, had not been played at the time of the report.
