No. 3 Jessica Pegula rallies from slow start to reach US Open fourth round

New York, a September afternoon at Flushing Meadows. Arthur Ashe Stadium was not as loud as usual during the first set — because on court, Jessica Pegula, the No. 3 seed, was playing one of her worst sets of the tournament this year. She held only 1 of 3 service games, failed to create a single break-point opportunity against Leylah Fernandez, the No. 31 seed. Watching from the stands, I immediately noticed Pegula's footwork was not keeping pace with her shot rhythm — a small detail that those who only look at the scoreboard would miss. "I don't really feel like I was in the first set," Pegula admitted after the match. "I was a little lazy with my feet." But then, like a breath regained at the right moment, Pegula began reading the match the way she has done all season in 2026. She saved 8 of 9 break points in the final two sets, converted 5 of 7 of her own break-point chances, and won 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. This is the 11th time in 2026 that Pegula has come back after losing the first set — the highest number on the WTA Tour, tied with Coco Gauff. The rhythm of the match changed completely after the third game of the second set. Fernandez, who had played proactive and effective tennis in the opening set — standing closer to the baseline, attacking returns aggressively — began making errors. She finished with 13 winners but 25 unforced errors. Fernandez's winner-to-error ratio of 0.52 reflects a technical issue that has been present for a while: she no longer controls her aggression the way she did during her run to the 2026 US Open final. "She played a little bit different today," Pegula said of Fernandez. "I think she stood closer, returned better. But I adjusted." That adjustment came from Pegula changing her serve placement and increasing first-ball aggression. After trailing 0-3 in the second set, she won five straight games to lead 5-3, then secured the decisive break right after being broken herself. The third set was nearly a solo performance: Pegula led 3-1 and never looked back. This victory puts Pegula into the fourth round, where she will face Sorana Cirstea — the Romanian who defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-2. Pegula's path to her first Grand Slam title remains intact, and if she wins this tournament, she will rise to World No. 1 for the first time in her career. But the bigger story of the tournament still belongs to Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed and defending champion. Sabalenka has now won 16 consecutive matches at the US Open — the longest streak since Serena Williams' 26-match run from 2026 to 2026. In her match against Anna Kalinskaya, which ended 6-1, 6-2, Sabalenka hit 10 aces, committed only 1 double fault, won 74.6% of her service points, and did not face a single break point. "I think before I looked at players like Serena and thought they were untouchable, something impossible to reach," Sabalenka said. "But now I have a different mindset." Sabalenka's next opponent is Taylor Townsend — the American who defeated Diana Shnaider 7-5, 7-5, saving 10 of 12 break points and converting 5 of 7 opportunities. This is Townsend's third time reaching the fourth round at the US Open — a special adaptation to the fast hard courts and atmospheric conditions of Flushing Meadows. She did not hide her emotions after the match: "I'm super pumped. I don't know what else to say other than I'm pumped." Meanwhile, Emma Navarro — the No. 8 seed and 2026 US Open semifinalist — defeated Linda Noskova 6-4, 6-3, while Cirstea got past Kostyuk. Navarro will face Muchova or Alexandrova in the fourth round while Pegula awaits Cirstea. Looking back at the entire Friday of matches, a recurring motif emerges: players who can adjust mid-match win; those who cannot maintain intensity lose. Fernandez played the first set like a title contender but could not sustain the pace. Conversely, Pegula — who has come back from a set down 11 times this year — showed that at a Grand Slam, the match does not end when you lose the first set; it only ends when you stop adjusting. Sabalenka remains the No. 1 title favorite. But if there is a lesson from Friday, it is this: at the US Open, nothing is certain until the final point is scored. And with Pegula improving with each round, a potential semifinal between her and Sabalenka could be the match that defines the entire tournament.