Wuhan Open 2025: Jessica Pegula Fights Back Against Aryna Sabalenka To Reach Final

Jessica Pegula fought back from a set down to end Aryna Sabalenka's winning streak at the Wuhan Open and reach the final.

Pegula has needed a third set to progress in all four of her matches so far and triumphed 2-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2) in two hours and 22 minutes, denying Sabalenka a 21st straight win in Wuhan.

The American made a fast start, breaking Sabalenka in the first game, but lost the subsequent three games as the world number one found her groove.

Another three-game winning streak got the Belarusian over the line, though it took her a third set point to do so.

Pegula went a break up again early in the second set, though Sabalenka pegged her back again at 2-2. The sixth seed forced a decider by winning four of the last six games, serving out the second set to love.

The pair cancelled out early breaks in the third set, as well, with Pegula having to claw back level from 5-2 down. Sabalenka then had to defend two match points, converting her fourth break point in the final game to get to a tie-break.

But Pegula was just too strong, reeling off five points in a row to earn another match point, getting over the line at the second time of asking.

Data Debrief: Pegula, the three-set specialist

Never before in her career had Pegula recorded a win against a top-10 opponent after losing the first set, going 0-29 before Saturday's victory.

This marked the fourth time a player had forced a third-set tie-break from a set down against Sabalenka – the most such matches in a season against a WTA number one since the rankings were first published in 1975.

Since 1990, Pegula is just the third player aged 30 or over to reach multiple Tier 1/WTA-1000 finals in consecutive seasons, after Martina Navratilova (1993-94) and Serena Williams (2013-16).

And on Sunday, she will face compatriot Coco Gauff for the trophy. It will be the fourth all-American final on the WTA tour in 2025, the most since 2003 (five).