Jessica Pegula, the world No. 4 American tennis star, has etched her name into tennis history by achieving the highest winning percentage in a single WTA 1000 event, surpassing legends Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. At the 2025 National Bank Open in Montreal, Pegula secured her 18th victory in 20 matches, boasting a remarkable 90.0% win rate at the tournament, as reported by Opta Ace on X. This milestone, achieved with a 7-5, 6-4 second-round win over Maria Sakkari on July 30, 2025, places Pegula ahead of Williams’ 88.9% mark at the Italian Open (2013-2016) and Sharapova’s 88.5% at the same event (2011-2015).
Pegula’s dominance in Montreal, where she won titles in 2023 and 2024, underscores her consistency at the Canadian Open, a WTA 1000 event she described as a “home away from home.” Her 2025 campaign began with a straight-sets victory over Anastasija Sevastova, followed by the Sakkari triumph, positioning her as a favorite to achieve a historic three-peat, a feat only Monica Seles accomplished (1995-1998). Pegula’s serve shone against Sakkari, with 71% first serves in and 82% of those points won, showcasing her ability to seize critical moments despite early set challenges.
This record-breaking achievement comes after a challenging 2025 season for Pegula, who reached the Miami Open final in March, losing to Aryna Sabalenka (7-5, 6-2), but suffered first-round exits at Wimbledon and Washington, D.C. Her resilience in Montreal, where she holds a 90.0% win rate over 20 matches since the WTA 1000 format began in 2009, outpaces other top players like Iga Swiatek (88.0% at Indian Wells) and another Williams benchmark (87.9% at Miami). Serena’s childhood coach, Rick Macci, praised Pegula’s potential, tweeting, “The Buffalo Blaster could grab a SLAM this year,” citing her rock-solid play off both wings.
Despite her WTA 1000 success, Pegula has yet to reach a Grand Slam or WTA 1000 final in 2025, breaking a streak of finals appearances since 2021. Her 2024 season saw her reach the US Open final, falling to Sabalenka, and win Toronto, joining Serena as one of four women to make finals at the Canadian Open, Cincinnati, and US Open in the same year. As Pegula advances in Montreal, facing qualifier Peyton Stearns next, her record-setting performance cements her as a WTA 1000 titan, quietly rewriting history in a sport defined by legends.
