WHAT HAPPENED: There was no easy end to this one.
Jessica Pegula and Shelby Rogers grew up together as tennis players, first competing as juniors and then playing alongside each other on tour for 15 years. And they entered this year’s US Open with emotions running high, six-time major quarterfinalist Pegula looking for her Grand Slam breakthrough on home soil and Rogers declaring that this tournament would be her final as a pro.
Tuesday evening, in the nightcap in Arthur Ashe Stadium, it was Pegula who moved into the second round, defeating her friend and compatriot, 6-4, 6-3, right before the clock struck midnight on Day 2 of the 2024 US Open and on Rogers’ understatedly excellent professional singles career.
“It’s kind of a full circle moment for me, it’s really special—one of the nicest people on tour and someone I’ve known for a long time,” Rogers said of facing Pegula in her final match. “It just adds to the moment. There’s not many people I’d rather share this moment with.”
Pegula reciprocated after the match. The two embraced at the net and the No. 6 seed paid tribute to her fellow American in her post-match remarks.
“I remember playing 16-and-unders Southerns with her, and now we’re here, and I think that’s so cool,” said a tearful Pegula, taking a break from her interview to hug Rogers once more. “We grew up playing juniors together, in the same section, and now we get to play a night match in Ashe.”
Amazingly, Tuesday night’s tilt was the first WTA-level matchup between the two veterans, though they had met previously on the USTA Pro Circuit.
In the early going, it was looking like Rogers might spring the upset. She claimed a break for a 3-2 edge in the opening stanza, but it would prove her last lead of the match. Pegula immediately broke back and began to assert her advantage, thumping ground strokes to both corners to take the sting out of her powerful opponent.
In all, Pegula would win four of the final five games of the first set and four of the first five of the second set, sapping the drama from this one and advancing to the second round for the fifth consecutive year.
“I knew, coming into this match, there was a lot of challenges and a lot of weird variables on my plate—playing an American, playing Shelby, knowing it could be her last match, coming in on a great couple of weeks and all of a sudden turning into one of the favorites when my year hasn’t been that great has been kind of crazy,” Pegula said. “I’m happy I was able to deal with all that tonight and hopefully I can keep improving as the tournament goes on.”
WHAT IT MEANS: As Pegula alluded to in her post-match interview, she is peaking at the right time. After losing in the second round at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the Olympics, and sitting out the French Open while recovering from a neck injury, the 30-year-old rebounded with an outstanding summer, taking the title in Toronto and reaching the Cincinnati final.
Up next for Pegula is another American: former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who won a spirited battle of former Grand Slam winners against 2021 US Open titlist Emma Navarro in the first round.
For Rogers, it is the end of her professional singles career. The 31-year-old is a two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist (2016 French Open, 2020 US Open) who reached three tour finals, peaked at No. 30 in the world and helped lead the U.S to the 2017 Billie Jean King Cup crown. While her singles career might be over, her tennis career still has legs; she is entered in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles events as well.
“I feel like I expected to feel a lot of emotions, but the main one is gratitude—gratitude for all the amazing moments, and some tough ones on this court, too,” Rogers said after the match. “But really special I’m able to play here one more time.”
MATCH POINT: Rogers finishes her career with 125 singles victories, including 15 at the US Open. In addition to her run to the quarters in 2020, she reached the fourth round in 2021 and the third round in 2015, 2017 and 2022.
