In the storied history of the French Open, several legends have left their mark at Roland Garros. Max Decugis dominated the pre-Open Era, winning eight French Championships, a tournament then exclusive to French club members. Then we have Suzanne Lenglen, who also excelled in this period, claiming six titles. Just when you think it can’t be topped, in the Open Era, Chris Evert emerged as the most successful woman. She secured seven French Open singles titles that stood the test of time until Rafael Nadal broke the record in 2013. Now, heading into clay season, Jessica Pegula is feeling optimistic.
On Saturday, Pegula clinched her second title of the 2025 season at the Charleston Open. She set up an exciting all-American match against the 2020 Australian Open champion, Sofia Kenin, and triumphed with a 6-3, 7-5 victory. This win bumped her ranking up to No.3, a feat she last achieved in October 2022. But this time, she’s surpassing Coco Gauff as the new American No.1.
Following the match, she sat down with Tennis Channel and spoke about her journey to this win. However, they took a detour from tennis to discuss a recent feat made by NHL’s Alex Ovechkin, who passed Wayne Gretzky, who held the record for approximately 26 years since his retirement in 1999, to become the NHL’s all-time leader in goals by scoring his 895th in a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Sunday! This prompted the interviewer to wonder: Does Jessica think someone could “break Rafa’s record one day” of 14 French Open titles?
Well, she holds out hope for it! She said, “Hey, you never know. Honestly, we always say ‘never say never.’ I mean, we always think records aren’t supposed to be broken, but they’re meant to be broken. So, it’s really cool.” And it’s a possibility! We have seen records that seemed impossible to break being broken before.
Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 15, 2021 Jessica Pegula of the U.S. celebrates winning her fourth round match against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina REUTERS/Kelly Defina
For instance, Novak Djokovic’s impressive 428 consecutive weeks as world No. 1 overthrew Roger’s 310 weeks, demonstrating his enduring excellence alongside his 24 Grand Slam singles titles, matching Margaret Court’s record. These records prove her statement, and while no one has come close to Rafael Nadal’s record at Roland Garros, there have been others who also made strides in this Grand Slam.
Iga Swiatek has been proving her dominance on the clay court. She is the first Pole to win a major singles title and has won four titles at the French Open (2024, 2023, 2022, 2020). Alongside her 2022 US Open win, she doesn’t need to prove further that she’s certainly in the running to break a few records.
Coming back to Jessica. Her advancing to the finals at Charleston against Kenin not only made this her fourth appearance at a finals match this season, but also marked the first all-American final in 35 years! A feat she recognized as the rise of American tennis.
Pegula on the American players takeover in tennis
On Saturday, Jessica Pegula stormed into her fourth final of the 2025 season, defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova in a thrilling match that saw her come back from a second-set loss to win 6-2, 2-6, 7-5. This victory marked her second consecutive final, following a tough quarterfinal win over defending champion Danielle Collins.
As Pegula advanced to the final, she couldn’t help but feel thrilled about facing fellow American Sofia Kenin. This all-American showdown marked the first in a Charleston final since 1990, when Martina Navratilova took down Jennifer Capriati. Speaking to Tennis Channel post-match, she exclaimed, “That’s awesome. It just shows the depth that the Americans have right now, especially on the women’s side. There’s so many of us, it’s annoying almost!”
She’s right; the American women’s tennis scene is buzzing with talent. Madison Keys, for instance, won her first Grand Slam title this year, marking a significant milestone in her career. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff made history by winning the 2023 U.S. Open at just 19 years old. There are more American players in the top 10 since 2024, and Pegula is proud to be part of this dynamic group, noting, “There’s just every week there’s someone to root for because there’s usually somebody doing good, and I’m just happy I get to be part of it.”
American tennis once dominated the sport. For instance, Navratilova’s nine Wimbledon crowns stand as a testament to her grass-court supremacy, while Bill Tilden’s seven U.S. Championships titles remain unmatched by any American man. Then, there’s Pete Sampras, with 14 Grand Slams under his belt, and Chris Evert’s seven French Open titles are a benchmark for American women. Not to forget, Serena Williams, with 23 Grand Slams, is the epitome of success.
As the current generation of American tennis stars rises, the question on everyone’s mind is: will we soon see another record-breaker emerge from this talented pool? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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