Pegula Beats Fernandez to Reach US Open R16

Jessica Pegula beat Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Friday to reach the US Open round of 16, surviving a sluggish start in 2 hours and 11 minutes, per the WTA. The No. 3 seed and 2024 runner-up is still alive in the four-player chase for world No. 1, and she needed every bit of that comeback muscle against the 2021 finalist.

Flushing Meadows already knew Pegula could dig. Friday was the proof she still will when the first set goes sideways.

Lazy start, then the flip

Fernandez locked down the opener with just four unforced errors and zero break points faced, while Pegula landed only 31 percent of her first serves and piled up 11 unforced errors against three winners, per the WTA. At 2-2 in the second, Fernandez held a point to go up a set and a break, then netted a forehand and floated a volley. Pegula passed, held, and broke the next game.

"I always feel like it's really tough to play her," Pegula said on court. "I never feel comfortable when I'm playing her, even when I've won, so I knew that today, especially with the way I started, I was going to have to dig deep." She called her own start "a little lazy" and said she was not moving her feet to the ball early.

Cirstea next, No. 1 still on the board

Pegula improved to 4-1 overall against Fernandez and 2-0 in 2026. It was her 11th win from a set down this season, tying Coco Gauff for the tour lead. In the third she conceded just nine points on serve after saving early break points, then finished with a backhand volley winner on match point.

Round of 16 is No. 16 seed Sorana Cirstea, who beat No. 19 Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-3 for the first time in four meetings. Pegula leads that head-to-head 3-1, including a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 grind in Cincinnati two weeks ago. She still needs the title to have a real shot at No. 1.

That second-week streak matters for American tennis watchers as much as the ranking math. Pegula has now reached the second week of her home major for a fifth straight year and the second week of a Slam for the 13th time overall, per the WTA. Fernandez forced the ugly first set. Pegula's second-set pass and third-set serve cleaned up the rest.

For more US Open board already on Smacktok, see Pegula's earlier win over Kenin and Sabalenka advancing. Friday's version was uglier early and cleaner late: one set in the hole, then a New York comeback stamp.