Jessica Pegula powers past Sofia Kenin into US Open third round
Jessica Pegula, of the United States, serves the ball to Sofia Kenin, of the United States, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
NEW YORK–World number three Jessica Pegula raced into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday with a straight-sets victory.
Pegula needed just 56 minutes to trounce Sofia Kenin, the former Australian Open champion now ranked 110th, 6-3, 6-1.
“To be out of there in under an hour, it doesn’t always happen,” Pegula said. “So I think I’m just going to take that one and run, I guess, until the next round.”
READ: US Open: Jessica Pegula shakes off nerves in first-round win
Pegula, who is among a trio of players who could supplant Aryna Sabalenka atop the world rankings in New York, dropped just seven points on serve.
“I was just trying to stay focused on what I needed to do,” said the 2024 US Open runner-up, who next meets another former finalist, Leylah Fernandez.
Fernandez breezed past Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-4, 6-1 in the second round.
