But no matter. Seconds later, Pegula celebrated her 6-2, 6-4 win with thousands of American fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, and thousands more watching at the other side of New York state, who have long wanted to see her break through. In defeating the No. 1 player in the world—who surrendered just a single game to Pegula the last time they played, in the WTA Finals championship match—it may have all been worth the wait.
“Thank you to the crowd,” said Pegula. “You guys carried me through for sure.”
The fans certainly helped, as did Swiatek, who made 41 unforced errors and struck just 12 winners, the same count as Pegula. But the relentless 30-year-old translated those factors into results. She broke serve four times on eight chances, and has added a US Open semifinal to a summer hard-court stretch that includes a title in Toronto and a runner-up finish in Cincinnati.
“To do it primetime, Ashe, against the No. 1 player in the world, it’s crazy—but I knew I could do it, I just had to execute my game and not get frustrated,” said Pegula. “I was able to take advantage of some things she wasn’t doing well very early.”
