Jessica Pegula made a loud statement at the Australian Open, but it came with mixed emotions. The sixth seed cruised into the third round with a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win over fellow American McCartney Kessler, later admitting it was never easy facing a close friend and doubles partner.

Pegula needed just 58 minutes on Rod Laver Arena to dismantle Kessler, marking another strong showing in Melbourne, where she has previously reached the QF three times between 2021 and 2023. Yet, despite the ruthless scoreline, the 31-year-old was candid about how uncomfortable the matchup felt. “It’s just kind of I think it sucks more than anything, you know.”

The pair had already endured disappointment together, exiting the doubles draw in the first round against Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani on Wednesday. Jessica Pegula further added, “We’ve tried to hook up for doubles so many times, and I think we were just joking, like of course, the time we actually are in the draw and ready to play, we play each other the next round in singles. So, it’s always tough, but you know, she’s great. Her team’s great. Super cool family, so you know, no worries.”

This was Pegula’s second meeting with Kessler. Last year, they set a record by reaching the final of the ATX Open. It was the first all-American WTA final since 2017. Pegula won that match by 7-5, 6-2.

While analyzing her second meeting with McCartney Kessler, Jessica Pegula added, “I thought I played a very clean match, kind of executed exactly what I wanted to from the start. Maybe got a little help from her end, but at the same time was able to really just play a super-clean match and kind of do what I wanted to from start to finish.”

While Kessler briefly regrouped after an off-court medical timeout between sets, Pegula stayed composed and adjusted when her opponent began to swing more freely. The victory sends Pegula into a third-round meeting with unseeded Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva, who knocked out last year’s semifinalist Paula Badosa in straight sets.  It will also mark her 17th career women’s singles third round at Grand Slam events. Only Iga Swiatek (23) and Aryna Sabalenka (20) now have more since the start of the 2020 season.

Coming back to Jessica Pegula’s comments, well, while she admitted it “sucks” having to knock out an American so early at the AO, the matchup itself was a sign of a much bigger trend on the WTA Tour. American women aren’t just meeting deep in tournaments – they’re increasingly crowding the business end of them. Remember what happened last year?

Jessica Pegula opens up on the rise of American women’s tennis

The 2025 season has underlined that shift emphatically. From Grand Slam triumphs to regular Tour titles, the United States has emerged as the dominant force in women’s tennis, and Pegula has been right at the center of it. Other than finding success at the United Cup earlier in the 2025 season, the American women won 14 titles last year!

Speaking in a previous interview last year, Jessica Pegula pointed out the depth of talent and the inspiration provided by Grand Slam champions like Keys and Gauff:

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“I don’t really know exactly why now, but I just think that our depth is pretty incredible. I think it has been, though, honestly, for a few years now. I think we’re just seeing more Americans, maybe in the top 10, obviously top 20, for sure. That’s definitely a big change. You know, having Coco and Maddie win Slams over the last couple of years as Americans is huge for women’s tennis or for women’s tennis in America. I don’t know if maybe that’s kind of inspiring to maybe some of the lower-ranked Americans to do really well or the younger generation.”

Jessica Pegula just feels happy to be a part of this group. With Grand Slam champions setting the standard and players like McCartney Kessler breaking through at the Tour level, Pegula no longer feels the weight of carrying expectations alone.

But with a few near misses at the majors already, her fans will surely want her to win a Grand Slam title before she hangs up her racket. Can she do it at the 2026 AO, though?