The Americans had a masterful US Open in 2024, with two stars, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, facing off in the semi-finals.
The Americans are now having their moment of glory at Flushing Meadows.
Jessica Pegula joins Emma Navarro as the American semifinalist. The New York native pulled off an upset victory over world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals, moving one step closer to a possible USA vs. USA final on the women’s side.
Before that can happen, Pegula and Navarro will have to do something they’ve never done before: make the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament.
Trust me, Jessica! You’re a Grand Slam semi-finalist ? pic.twitter.com/n5UbED1I8N
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2024
Here’s a look at Pegula’s age and how she made history with her win over Swiatek at the US Open.
How old is Jessica Pegula?
Pegula is 30 years old. She will be 31 in February.
While Navarro’s rise to fame comes at the more traditional age of 23, Pegula has come a long way to get to this point. She turned professional 15 years ago, reaching No. 3 in the world rankings in 2022, but has never reached a Grand Slam semifinal, until now.
By beating Swiatek on Wednesday in New York, Pegula became the oldest American woman to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal, leaving behind a string of early-round exits and disappointments — at least temporarily.
Semi-finalist, that sounds good ? pic.twitter.com/7i6SWbU4Bv
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2024
The Buffalo-born player, whose father is Bills owner Terry Pegula, is two wins away from a U.S. Open championship and will be favored against Czech Karolina Muchova in the semifinals.
But if Wednesday’s victory is any indication, being a favorite doesn’t guarantee anything.
Has Jessica Pegula Won a Grand Slam Title?
Pegula has never won a Grand Slam title. In fact, she had never made it past the quarter-finals of any Grand Slam tournament before her upset win over Swiatek.
That moment is getting closer and closer for Pegula, as she has reached the quarterfinals six times between 2021 and 2023. She had not won a Grand Slam quarterfinal match before Wednesday.
After years of door knocks, Pegula is in the semi-finals but still needs two more wins to reach the top and claim her first Grand Slam championship.
Jessica Pegula, the story of the Grand Slam
| Year | Australian Open | French Open | Wimbledon | US Open |
| 2011 | — | — | — | WHAT |
| 2012 | — | — | — | WHAT |
| 2013 | WHAT | WHAT | WHAT | — |
| 2014 | — | — | — | — |
| 2015 | — | WHAT | WHAT | R2 |
| 2016 | WHAT | WHAT | WHAT | R1 |
| 2017 | — | — | — | WHAT |
| 2018 | — | — | — | WHAT |
| 2019 | — | R1 | R1 | R1 |
| 2020 | R1 | R1 | — | R3 |
| 2021 | QF | R3 | R2 | R3 |
| 2022 | QF | QF | R3 | QF |
| 2023 | QF | R3 | QF | RF |
| 2024 | R2 | — | R2 | SF* |
WHAT — Eliminated in qualifying
* — In progress
