Fans of U.S. women’s tennis have had a lot to be happy, and surprised, about so far in 2025. In January, Madison Keys won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, after 15 years on tour. In February, 53rd-ranked Amanda Anisimova won her first WTA 1000 title, in Doha. And in Abu Dhabi, 20-year-old Ashlyn Krueger made her first 500 final.
But what about America’s best and brightest? They had also been a surprise, but not in a good way. Before this week, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro—three of the Top 8—hadn’t won a title between them, and only Pegula had made a final. Were they going to come to Indian Wells and Miami with no mojo at all?
Maybe it was the return to North America. Maybe it was the urgency of knowing that the Sunshine Double, and the home fans who pack those events, was around the corner. Maybe it was the fact that they were both the top seeds, and neither faced any Top 10 competition this week. But Pegula and Navarro both righted their wayward early-year ships with titles on Sunday. The former won in Austin, the latter in Merida.
