Jessica Pegula, the No. 3 seed and the sixth-ranked WTA Tour player, successfully defended her Canadian Open women’s singles title, defeating fellow American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 in Monday’s final. This victory marks Pegula’s sixth career tournament win and solidifies her dominance at the Canadian tennis championship, where she now holds a 17-2 record.
Pegula, hailing from nearby Buffalo, New York, was the champion in last year’s tournament held in Montreal. Anisimova, making her comeback after a mental health break, entered the week ranked No. 132 in the world, but showcased impressive form by defeating three top-20 players in Toronto, including No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.
The final showdown was only the second time in the history of WTA 1000 events – one level below the Grand Slams – that two American players faced each other in the final since the format’s inception in 2009. The only other instance occurred in 2016 when Serena Williams triumphed over Madison Keys in Rome.
Pegula, who now boasts a 3-0 record against Anisimova after also defeating her on clay earlier this season, started strong by breaking Anisimova in the first game and building a 5-3 lead before Anisimova double-faulted to drop the first set.
The second set saw a shift in momentum. Anisimova, trailing 0-40, fought back to hold serve. She then capitalized on a lengthy rally to break Pegula and go up 2-1. The 22-year-old former French Open semifinalist then extended her lead to 5-2 with another break, fueled by Pegula’s double fault. Anisimova served out the second set, forcing Pegula to drop her first set of the tournament.
The match marked a historic occasion as the first time two American women competed for Canada’s national championship since Serena Williams defeated Jennifer Capriati in 2001. Pegula’s victory also made her the first player to achieve 10 consecutive wins in women’s singles at the Canadian Open since Serena Williams’ impressive streak of 14 wins from 2011 to 2014.
