Pegula Dominates Kenin in 56 Minutes, Sabalenka Continues Title Defense at US Open

New York — When Jessica Pegula stepped onto Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, she didn't need to say a word about last year's final. She just needed to swing her racket. Fifty-six minutes later, the No. 3 seed had booked her place in the third round of the US Open with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over fellow American Sofia Kenin — a performance so dominant that it felt more like a practice session than a Grand Slam match. The numbers tell the story: Pegula surrendered just seven points on serve, finished with 18 winners against eight unforced errors. She never faced a break point. The most impressive stat? She won seven consecutive games spanning both sets — a run that gave her opponent no chance to recover. But what makes this match significant isn't just the scoreline. It's how Pegula turned a previously difficult matchup into an unexpectedly easy victory. At the 2026 US Open, Pegula needed a first-set tiebreak to get past Kenin — the 2026 Australian Open champion — in the second round. This time, she gave Kenin no opportunity to enter dangerous territory. "I knew today was going to be tough. Sonya has given me a lot of trouble in the past," Pegula said after the match. "She's a great player and a champion, so I was just trying to stay focused on what I needed to do." What I observed from the stands — where I've watched hundreds of matches in my writing career — is the change in how Pegula approaches her second serve. She's no longer playing safe. She's hitting big, actively changing direction, and most importantly, trusting herself in critical moments. "I'm going pretty big on second serves, I'm trying to mix up where I'm going and just trust that I can hit good serves in the moment," Pegula explained. "That's been a lot of work we've done off the court, so really excited when I can practice something, and it pays off in the match." While Pegula is showing peak form, Aryna Sabalenka — the No. 1 seed and two-time defending champion — is equally impressive. Sabalenka needed just 54 minutes to dispatch Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1. She lost just two games in the entire match. "I'm happy with my level," Sabalenka said. "I've been working really hard, but I feel like I'm kind of moving away from trying to be perfect on court. I know that you cannot be perfect, and I'm just trying to work with what I have right now." That statement from Sabalenka — "you cannot be perfect" — is a significant signal. In the past, Sabalenka was haunted by double faults and the pursuit of perfection in every shot. But at this US Open, she's playing with controlled looseness — which makes her more dangerous than ever. One of the most notable matches on Day 3 was Marta Kostyuk's (No. 11 seed) comeback against 2026 US Open champion Sloane Stephens. Kostyuk led 6-1, 4-2 before Stephens mounted a second-set resurgence and earned a set point opportunity. But Kostyuk escaped the danger and won the final three games to close out the match 6-1, 7-5. "I was a little nervous," Kostyuk admitted. "I kind of knew what to expect, but I knew she was gonna try to change something. At the same time, I knew how she was playing, and I beat her. But yeah, it's a different tournament; it's a Grand Slam." Kostyuk will face Ekaterina Alexandrova (No. 18 seed) in the third round after Alexandrova overcame Australia's Kimberly Birrell 6-1, 2-6, 6-3. Meanwhile, No. 9 seed Elina Svitolina endured a dramatic battle against Australia's Maya Joint. Svitolina had a match point in the second-set tiebreak but failed to convert, losing that set 6-7(6) before clinching a 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-4 victory. No. 14 seed Iva Jovic — the 18-year-old American — completed her delayed first-round match, defeating Poland's Magdalena Frech 7-5, 6-3. Jovic recovered from an early deficit in the opening set to close out the straight-sets victory. Diana Shnaider (No. 15 seed) defeated former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 7-6(4). Shnaider, who reached the French Open semifinals earlier this season, will face Taylor Townsend next after Townsend overwhelmed Australia's Taylah Preston 6-1, 6-1. A major upset on Day 3 was No. 30 seed Jelena Ostapenko — the 2026 Roland Garros champion — being eliminated in the first round. Germany's Tatjana Maria rallied for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Ostapenko. This was the only seeded woman eliminated on Wednesday. Emma Navarro (No. 26 seed) staged an impressive comeback in an all-American matchup against Caty McNally, winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. Navarro will face Karolina Muchova (No. 7 seed) — who crushed Britain's Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-0 in less than an hour. Jasmine Paolini (No. 19 seed) advanced with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over countrywoman Lucrezia Stefanini and will face Sorana Cirstea (No. 16 seed) — who beat Diane Parry 6-2, 7-5. Anna Kalinskaya (No. 21 seed) advanced with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 victory over China's Wang Xinyu. Ann Li (No. 29 seed) edged past Croatia's Donna Vekic 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-4. Rain disrupted much of Wednesday's schedule, suspending play on outdoor courts while matches continued under the roofs at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium. Looking at the entire day of play, I notice one thing: the consistency of the top players. Pegula, Sabalenka, Muchova — all won with near-total dominance. This raises the question: will this US Open see a real competition in the women's draw, or are we heading toward a Pegula-Sabalenka semifinal with both players' overwhelming power? Based on my experience following matches over the years, I believe the most notable thing isn't the scorelines, but how the players are approaching their matches. Pegula is no longer a purely defensive player. Sabalenka is no longer obsessed with perfection. And Kostyuk is learning to handle pressure in the most critical moments. That's what makes this US Open special: not just the shots, but the evolution in the mentality of the world's top female players.