Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Jessica Pegula has more than a maiden Grand Slam title in her sights at the 2026 US Open. The American has a genuine opportunity to climb to the top of the WTA rankings for the first time, dethroning Aryna Sabalenka, but the equation is a demanding one.
Pegula will become world No.1 if she wins the US Open and Elena Rybakina, currently ranked No.2, fails to reach the semi-finals.
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Such an outcome would give Pegula the biggest ranking achievement of her career and make her the oldest first-time world No.1 in WTA history. The current record belongs to Germany’s Angelique Kerber, who first reached the summit at 28 years and 238 days in September 2016.
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Pegula, 32, therefore has a remarkable piece of history within reach in New York. But the immediate task is to keep winning, and she made an emphatic start on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
PEGULA SHRUGS OFF NERVES TO BEAT RUSE
The third-seeded American opened her campaign with an impressive 6-3, 6-2 victory over Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Pegula broke Ruse twice in each set and completed the win in straight sets, although the scoreline did not tell the entire story of the contest.
Pegula had to overcome some early nerves but quickly settled into her rhythm, using her baseline game to take control. Once she established a lead, she rarely allowed Ruse an opportunity to build sustained momentum.
The victory also continues what has been a strong 2026 campaign for Pegula. She reached the Australian Open semi-finals for the first time earlier this year and subsequently captured the Dubai title, her fourth WTA 1000 crown.
Now, however, the stakes are considerably higher.
Pegula has already reached a US Open final, finishing runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka in 2024, but the world No.3 is still chasing her first Grand Slam singles title.
With Rybakina also entering New York carrying fitness concerns after retiring from her Cincinnati quarter-final with an ankle injury, the rankings battle could develop into one of the tournament’s biggest storylines.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
