American tennis has witnessed a revolutionary season in 2025 with the likes of Madison Keys and Coco Gauff earning top honors at the slams. And how can one forget the rising talent Amanda Anisimova, who made it to two straight finals, first at SW19 and then in Flushing Meadows. But they are not the only ones making the headlines across the tour. Jessica Pegula has also made her presence felt through her impressive performances. The 31-year-old may have lost a chance to win the US Open this year, but she is back to being consistent.

In an extremely tough and thrilling encounter at the ongoing Wuhan Open, Pegula beat her compatriot and 23-year-old talent Hailey Baptiste. Pegula snatched the first set 6-4 but Baptiste fought back to level the fight. In the decider, both the players delivered their best tennis on the court but it was Pegula who emerged victorious.

With a score line of 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(6), she edged out Baptiste and reached the R16 at the WTA 1000 event. That said, Pegula has now also gone past compatriot Coco Gauff, when it comes to having most wins in three-set matches in 2025 season. Pegula has now clinched 13 such encounters, equaling her fellow Americans Anisimova while trailing only behind Keys who has (15).

Coming back to the cliffhanger contest between Baptiste and Pegula, it was more like a pendulum. Till the last point was finished, no one could predict the outcome given how good the two players were striking the ball. Pegula managed to earn 59 percent of her first serve points. On the other hand, Baptiste was just slightly ahead, winning 66 percent of her first serve points.

Even when it comes to hitting aces, they both were close. Pegula scored five aces, with Baptiste hitting two more than her. The overall difference of points earned by them was negligible as well. The World No.6 won 120 points while the 23-year-old compatriot was just five points shy. Undoubtedly, Pegula was relieved to have emerged victorious in this intense face-off.

Jessica Pegula reacts on a tough win against Baptiste in Wuhan

It is the third overall campaign in Wuhan where Jessica Pegula is competing to earn the coveted trophy. Back in 2019, she made her debut at the WTA 1000 event while failing to go past R64. Last season, she reached the R16 before losing to China’s Xinyu Wang.

This season, she has replicated her run from 2024 and will look to extend the winning streak. After besting her compatriot in a marathon battle, lasting for 2 hours and 55 minutes, she said, “I don’t really know what to say about that match,” reported WTA’s website on October 8. “It’s been brutal. You know, I had match points, and then she started playing well. I think I just got a little tentative, and that’s all it takes sometimes for someone to come back.”

She concluded, “I’m really proud of myself for how I held it together, because I think I easily could’ve just collapsed. But I held tough, so yeah, that was a wild ride.” With her latest win over Baptiste, Pegula has also increased her lead to 2-0 in H2H tally.

Next up, the World No.6 will face Ekaterina Alexandrova in the R16 on Thursday. Interestingly, Alexandrova is currently having an advantage over the American, with a 3-2 overall lead in their H2H record.

Even in their last meeting, at the Stuttgart Open this season, it was the Russian WTA star who had the last laugh in the QF round. It will be intriguing to see if Pegula can take her revenge this time. Doing so will also send her in the quarterfinals at Wuhan Open for the first time.