Jessica Pegula has spent years as one of the most consistent players on the women's tennis tour without ever breaking through for a major title. At the 2026 US Open, that could finally change, along with the possibility of an even bigger prize.
Currently ranked third in the world, Pegula has rolled through the early rounds in New York, beating fellow American Sofia Kenin and then Leylah Fernandez to reach the fourth round, where she is set to face Romania's Sorana Cirstea. A deep run through the draw would give her a genuine shot at her first Grand Slam singles title after several near misses in finals at majors over the past few years.
A Path to the Top Ranking
Beyond the title itself, Pegula has an outside chance at something no American woman has claimed in more than a decade. If she wins the tournament and top ranked Elena Rybakina loses before the semifinals, Pegula would rise to world No. 1 for the first time in her career, becoming the first American woman to hold the top spot since Serena Williams. At roughly 32 and a half years old, she would also become the oldest player in WTA history to reach No. 1 for the first time.
That combination, a potential maiden major title paired with a first ever world No. 1 ranking, has turned Pegula's run into one of the most closely watched storylines of the tournament.
Tennis Success Runs Alongside a Billionaire Family Story
Pegula's rise in tennis has unfolded alongside a family story built on a very different kind of success. She is the daughter of Terry and Kim Pegula, who own the NFL's Buffalo Bills and the NHL's Buffalo Sabres. Terry Pegula built his fortune in oil and gas before shifting into sports ownership, and Forbes has estimated his net worth at more than 9 billion dollars.
That wealth has often shaped the public narrative around Jessica Pegula's career, but her results on court have increasingly stood on their own. A title run in New York, paired with a possible ascent to world No. 1, would mark the moment her tennis legacy fully steps out from under her family's business empire.
