Jessica Pegula's run at her home tournament ended prematurely in the fourth round of the US Open. The third-seeded American was outclassed in straight sets by Madison Keys at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Keys, a former 2017 runner-up, dominated the match with a 6-1, 6-3 scoreline, leaving Pegula visibly emotional upon her exit. Despite her strong overall form and six quarter-final appearances in Grand Slams since 2021, Pegula still hasn't managed to reach a major semi-final. This victory puts Keys back in the US Open quarter-finals for the first time since 2018.
Following her victory, Keys admitted that she has tried to keep her expectations low this season to stay focused on the game itself. The 28-year-old shared that her success stems from setting tactical goals rather than performance-based ones. Instead of worrying about the score, she concentrates on specific technical improvements, such as getting to the net more often, incorporating slices, or stepping up her second serve—elements of her game that are entirely within her control.
With this win, Keys is set to face Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the quarter-finals as the final Grand Slam of the year progresses. Vondrousova secured her first-ever appearance in the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows by overcoming Peyton Stearns. Although Stearns took the opening set, Vondrousova fought back to push the match into a tiebreak. Ultimately, the unseeded Stearns struggled in the final set, committing 21 unforced errors, which allowed Vondrousova to close out the match.
Vondrousova praised her opponent's strong start, noting that she simply focused on staying resilient throughout the match. Expressing her joy, she admitted that she didn't expect to reach this stage given the immense pressure she felt following her Wimbledon success, adding that she is curious to see how much further she can go.
In other news, Ons Jabeur suffered another disappointing loss, falling 6-2, 6-3 to a dominant Qinwen Zheng. In doing so, Zheng became the youngest Chinese player in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final. However, the 20-year-old faces a steep climb in the next round, where she will have to battle the top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka for a place in the semi-finals.
Earlier in the tournament, Iga Swiatek's bid to defend her title ended in the fourth round after a tough loss to 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, who won 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. As a result, Swiatek is expected to lose her world number one ranking next week, with Aryna Sabalenka poised to take over the top spot for the first time.