Jessica Pegula enjoyed a great week at the 2025 ATX Open in Austin, ending up with the champion’s trophy in her hands.
Pegula had an intriguing start to the season. As one of the most consistent players on the WTA Tour, she reached the Adelaide International final, losing only to Madison Keys.
However, the 31-year-old struggled to find her rhythm afterward, failing to secure more than two wins in subsequent tournaments. She reached the third round at the Australian Open, won two matches in Doha, and managed just one victory in Dubai.
Her next event was the ATX Open in Austin, marked as her lowest-tier event of the season, being a WTA 250 tournament. This played a role in her compatriot Madison Keys’ withdrawal from the ATX Open.
The WTA permits only one Top 10 player per WTA 250 event, which affected Keys when she became a Top 10 player after winning the Australian Open, joining Pegula.
With Pegula being the higher-ranked player on the entry list and Keys’ circumstances changing, the 2025 Australian Open champion withdrew from the tournament.
As a result, Pegula’s toughest opponent in Austin would have been the 13th-ranked Diana Shnaider, but she did not face the Russian player.
The 2024 US Open finalist overcame Arantxa Rus, Nuria Parrizas Diaz, Anna Blinkova, and Ajla Tomljanovic to reach the finals of the WTA 250 tournament. Her final opponent was the fifth-seeded McCartney Kessler.
Kessler had a strong week as well and was looking to continue her success. Although she was the first to be broken in the final, the 25-year-old fought back from a 0-2 deficit to take a 4-2 lead.
Yet, Kessler could not maintain that lead for long. Pegula broke back and, at 5-4 and 30-15, was just two points away from securing the first set. However, she faced a break point at 5-5, putting her in a precarious position.
Ultimately, Pegula showcased greater composure at the end of the second set, winning key points to take the first set 7-5, which proved to be decisive.
With the first set in hand, Pegula played with more confidence in the second. She broke her opponent’s serve thrice and dominated the court, closing the match at 7-5, 6-2 to claim her first trophy of the season, marking her seventh career title.
