Jessica Pegula continued her pursuit of returning to the US Open final with a victory over Ann Li in the fourth round.
Pegula, who has yet to drop a set in New York so far, kept her flawless run alive against Li, beating her compatriot 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals.
In the last eight, she will come up against two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova, who knocked out home hope Taylor Townsend.
After finishing as the runner-up in 2024, Pegula is hoping to go one step further at the US Open this year, where she has noticed a difference in the way the fans have treated her compared to previous seasons.
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty ImagesJessica Pegula explains the shift in fan treatment towards her
Speaking to Tennis Channel about her popularity at Flushing meadows, Pegula said: “I mean, well, yeah, I’ve gotten support here I feel like for as long as I can remember.
“But I’ve obviously noticed there’s been a massive shift after I’ve done really well, especially last year, and I feel like just walking around the grounds, walking around the city, I can just feel the energy from the fans so much more.
“So I feel like I’ve tried to take that into my matches, you know, so far, just being really positive.
“I’m not super emotional out there on court, so for me, it’s a lot of energy, but, you know, just staying really positive, jumping around, and just trying to give the crowd, you know, what they deserve, I guess.”
Jessica Pegula’s 2025 US Open campaign so far
Before her US Open campaign, Pegula had struggled during the North American hard-court swing, bowing out in the early stages of both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.
In the Big Apple, however, she has been in impressive form, tearing through her side of the draw en route to the quarterfinals.
RoundOpponentScoreFourth RoundAnn Li6-1, 6-2 (W)Third RoundVictoria Azarenka6-1, 7-5 (W)Second RoundAnna Blinkova6-1, 6-3 (W)First RoundMayar Sherif6-0, 6-4 (W)Jessica Pegula’s US Open campaign so far
Pegula cleared aside both Mayar Sherif and Anna Blinkova in rounds one and two, and defeated former world number one Victoria Azarenka.
Following another dominant win over Li, she is now faced with her toughest test yet in the form of Krejcikova, who has a winning record against her.