By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, April 6, 2025
Jessica Pegula saved three set points and won six games in a row stopping Sofia Kenin, 6-3, 7-5, to claim her first clay crown—and rise to world No. 3.
Photo credit: Charleston Tennis LLC
Dire straits are tenacity tests on the tennis court.
A driven Jessica Pegula continues acing every exam.
Facing a 1-5 second-set deficit, Pegula stormed through six straight games subduing Sofia Kenin 6-3, 7-5 in the Credit One Charleston Open final to capture her first career clay-court championship.
It is Pegula’s 17th win in her last 19 matches.
Playing her third final in her last four tournaments, Pegula raised her 2025 record to a WTA-best 25-6 record.
“I actually just told [my coach] I think I hit a wall,” Pegula told Tennis Channel’s Steve Weissman afterward. “I just realized how tired I was. She started to play a high level. It was super windy, super tough conditions… I felt if you stopped moving your feet for a split second [momentum] changes so fast…
“I knew I could break her, but I didn’t know I could break her twice. Luckily I played some good tennis, but I was really tired. I was just thinking like I gotta fight through this again. The tank was kind of empty but it almost helped me to focus. I told myself I’m really tired and it almost helped me to relax and I started to play a little bit better and serve a little bit better.”
This victory vaults Pegula past buddy Coco Gauff to the world No. 3 ranking as she again reigns as American No. 1.
The top-seeded Pegula played comeback queen to win her first dirt title and she did it just weeks after bowing to No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Miami Open final.
Yesterday, a fierce Pegula won five of the final six games fighting off Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 to advance to her maiden Credit One Charleston Open final.
Today, Kenin was cracking her backhand with command building that 5-1 second set lead.
Twice the 2020 Australian Open champion served for the second set and twice Pegula broke her.
The top seed made a fantastic stand saving three set points at 2-5—including pounding two aces wide on two of those three set points—as that stand seemed to rattle Kenin.
In the end, Pegula powered through 10 points in a row to collect her eighth career title, including second of this season.
This first all-American Charleston final since Martina Navratilova beat the young Jennifer Capriati in the 1990 final that was a clash of future Hall of Famers.
It’s a gut-wrenching loss for Kenin, who played tremendous tennis defeating gold-medal champion Belinda Bencic, 2024 finalist Daria Kasatkina, Anna Kalinskaya and Doha champion Amanda Anisimova. Kenin put herself in position to play a final set today, but after Pegula saved those three set points, she emotionally crumbled a bit and lost the range on her serve.
“I want to congratulate Jesse on a great match. You’re a freaking beast coming from Miami to here. Congratulations, it was a great match and a well-deserved win. We’re just gonna have to regroup and get ready for the clay swing.”
Playing for her first title since 2020 Lyon, Kenin opened the final feeling the jitters. Struggling to land her first serve amid an unruly wind, Kenin double faulted on the first point and sprayed a couple of wild errors, ceding the love break to start.
Pegula held for 2-0—starting the first of a few momentum shifts in the set.
Cracking her backhand crosscourt and mixing in some deft drop shots, Kenin answered with a three-game run for 3-2.
Taking quick preparation steps to get up to the ball, Pegula held at 15 to stop that three game slide—and ignite a four-game surge of her own.
Driving deep returns down the middle, Pegula broke at love in the seventh game and took charge as Kenin lost her range.
Playing with more variation and net clearance, Pegula was the more precise player in the opening set. Kenin scattered 23 unforced errors in the set—15 more than the top seed.
Resetting, Kenin broke to start the second set.
Spreading the court with her crisp crosscourt backhand, Kenin was turning her shoulders into her drives and dictating play.
A sharp Kenin reeled off 16 of 19 points powering out to a 5-1 second-set lead as a reeling Pegula looked drained after her three-set victories over defending champion Danielle Collins and Ekaterina Alexandrova.
A final set seemed inevitable—Pegula had no time for pity parties.
The US Open finalist fought off three set points in the seventh game—whipping wide aces to save two of the three set points—in a hard-fought hold for 2-5.
“I kind of served my way out of the game,” Pegula said. “And I was like okay that was a good game now let's try the same in the next game.”
That spirited stand shifted momentum back to Pegula.
Serving for the set set 5-2, Kenin could not close as Pegula broke back.
On Kenin’s second attempt to serve at the set at 5-4 she spit up a fifth double fault to face a break point. Pouncing on a short second serve, Pegula pounded a backhand return winner down the line to break back for 5-all.
That dagger down the line pierced Kenin’s hope and self belief as Pegula surged through 10 points in a row ending an 86-minute triumph with arms raised.
The comeback queen, who honed her game at Hilton Head and later trained in Daniel Island, is a clay-court champion at last.