US Open: Lone Asian American Jessica Pegula fights her way into semi-finals

Jessica Pegula

And then there was one. Jessica Pegula is the last Asian American in the US Open as the tournament enters its final rounds.

With the media's darling, the Philippines Alexandra Eala, eliminated earlier this week, Asian and Asian American fans turned their attention to the remaining Asian and Asian American players.

The quarterfinal stage at Flushing Meadows brought a mix of heartbreak and history for our community’s top tennis stars. While three phenomenal players saw their deep runs come to an end, Pegula kept the fire burning with a gritty, come-from-behind victory.

Here is how the action unfolded for our community's favorites:

Pegula Power: Jessica Marches On

Jessica Pegula—whose mother Kim Pegula was adopted from South Korea—showed incredible mental toughness in her quarterfinal match on Tuesday. Facing off against Emma Navarro, Pegula dropped the opening set but refused to back down. She rallied fiercely to lock in a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory. 

The win secures her spot in the semifinals, which are scheduled for Thursday, September 10. Pegula will take center stage during the night session inside Arthur Ashe Stadium starting at 7 p.m. local time (ET). 

In the semi-final, Pegula will be facing a familiar opponent. A massive blockbuster showdown against top-seeded and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka awaits. The two met in the 2024 US Open final, which the world No. 1 won. Sabalenka also defeated Pegula in the 2025 semifinal, but since then, the Korean American has won their last couple of meetings and views their increasingly frequent battles as a genuine rivalry.

“Yeah, I think it's fun to look at it like a rivalry. I think that that's what kind of motivates me," says Pegula. "And I think, honestly, I feel like that's what's going to motivate her. Probably that I beat her the last couple of times. I'm sure she's going to look at those couple matches and what she needs to do different.”

Zheng and Rybakina’s epic clash

Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng’s phenomenal run came to a heartbreaking end in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. 

After shocking world No. 8 Iga Świątek in the previous round, Zheng went toe-to-toe with Elena Rybakina. Zheng captured the first set with flawless baseline play, but Rybakina storm-chased back to take the match 6-3, 1-6, 4-6. 

With this win, Rybakina also claims the world No. 1 ranking. 

Ankle injury halts Osaka

Naomi Osaka’s inspiring return to the US Open spotlight was cut short in the Round of 16 on Monday. The former champion ran into a red-hot Elena Rybakina, falling 1-6, 4-6. 

Compounding the tough loss, the 28-year old Osaka was visibly hampered by a nagging ankle and foot issue during the second set, ending her 2026 New York campaign.

Osaka was visibly hampered during her Monday' match by pain in her leg — was philosophical about her loss.

"Maybe I'm just getting older, but I don't feel sad," Osaka said. "I think, also, if I reflect on my career and the things that I've been able to do, there's nothing that I regret or there's nothing that I'm sad about ... If I win another Grand Slam, it's not going to change my life."

Tien pushes a veteran to the brink

On the men's side, 20-year-old Asian American phenom Learner Tien gave fans the match of the tournament in the Round of 16. 

The Next Gen graduate, coached by the former Grand Slam champion Michael Chang, pushed veteran Karen Khachanov to the absolute limit in a grueling, physical four-hour epic. Tien ultimately ran out of gas in the final stretch, falling just short in five sets: 5-7, 6-4, 7-6, 1-6, 4-6. 

Despite the exit, Tien has shown that we'll be hearing more about him in the future. His showing at the US Open proves he belongs on the sport's biggest stages. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, please repost.

US Open: Eala ousted, Pegula, Osaka, Zheng, Tien move into the round of 16

Good friends Alex Eala, right, and Iva Jovic hug after their hard-fought match at the US Open.

Asian and Asian American tennis atheletes are providing a whole lot of entertaining play. The Asian diaspora is right at the epicenter of the biggest headlines of the US Open.

In a Saturday night primetime spectacular that has already been christened the "Best Match" of the tournament, Filipino tennis sensation Alexandra Eala and her close friend, American Iva Jovic, battled to the absolute physical limit on Arthur Ashe Stadium. 

While Eala's magical role came to an end, her extraordinary effort capped off a phenomenal first week for Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander athletes in Flushing Meadows, alongside clutch, jaw-dropping advances by Naomi Osaka, Qinwen Zheng, Jessica Pegula and among the men, Learner Tien's surprising upsets.

Besties' Battle: Eala and Jovic in 3-hour thriller

The bond between 21-year-old Filipina star Alexandra Eala and 18-year-old American prodigy Iva Jovic was put on temporary pause under the New York lights. What followed was a breathtaking 3-hour and 4-minute baseline war of attrition that left the stadium crowd on their feet.

Jovic ultimately edged out Eala with a razor-thin 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory.

Eala showcased the devastating ball-striking that has made her a hero in Southeast Asia, leading 4-2 in the third set continuously threatening to break Jovic's resolve, raising the hopes of her legions of fans

Jovic, playing through bleeding scrapes on her knees, broke into tears post-match, telling the crowd she felt heartbroken to have to eliminate one of her best friends in the sport. 

At the end of the match Eala went into Jovic's side of the net to give her friend a heartfelt hug instead of the customary meeting on opposite sides of the net.

That act by Eala moved Jovic to tears during the after-match press conference. "I'm going to start crying. But it says a lot about her as a person to be able to do that after that type of match and still come over to hug me and wish me all the best... Yeah, she's incredible."

Tennis icon Monica Seles heralded the match as an instant US Open classic.

Respected sports writer Jon Wertheim also called Jovic vs Eala the best match of the US Open thus far.

"If the @usopen were the UFC, Eala and Jovic would both get fight-of-the-night cash bonuses upon repairing the locker room ….as it is, can we all agree: match of the tournament ?"

Jovic now moves on to face No. 4 seed, fellow American Coco Gauff while Eala prepares for the next WTA tourney in Singapore starting Sept. 21.

Osaka defies the odds

Two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka continues her highly watched, deeply personal quest for another Grand Slam title. Facing a massive hurdle against Belgium’s Elise Mertens, Osaka proved that her championship mettle remains entirely intact. 

After dropping a grueling second set and staring down a dangerous 4-2 deficit in the final set, Osaka dialed in her signature heavy groundstrokes to capture a thrilling 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win.

The Road Ahead: A visibly relieved Osaka admitted to the press she was "literally shocked" by the turnaround. Her prize? A blockbuster, highly anticipated Round of 16 showdown against Elena Rybakina.

Wen pulls off the escape of the century

Reigning Olympic Gold Medalist Qinwen Zheng looked completely down and out against American powerhouse Madison Keys. What happened next will go down in Chinese tennis lore.

After dropping the first set 1-6, Zheng found herself trapped in a seemingly insurmountable 5-0 hole in the deciding third set.

Zheng saved a match point, locked down her errors, and engineered a staggering seven-game consecutive streak to completely paralyze Keys, taking the match 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5. Zheng pushes forward to face World No. 8 Iga Świątek in a marquee matchup.

 Steady Pegula sails through

Rounding out the top tier of American contenders, half-Korean third seed Jessica Pegula put on a brilliant, clinical display on Louis Armstrong Stadium. 

Pegula dismantled the veteran 16th seed Sorana Cîrstea in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, behind a dominant 68% first-serve efficiency. She moves seamlessly into the Round of 16 to take on fellow American Emma Navarro.

A surprise on the men's side

The American tennis landscape has a new reason to celebrate, and it comes in the form of 20-year-old Learner Tien, who is delivering a historic breakthrough performance at the US Open.

At 1:30 a.m., Learner Tien was able to raise his arms in victory.

By punching his ticket to the Round of 16, the 14th-seeded Irvine native has become the youngest American man to reach the fourth round at Flushing Meadows since Andy Roddick's iconic run in 2002.

Tien outlasted 17th-seed Jakub Menšík in a grueling, three-hour and 24-minute five-set marathon (6–3, 1–6, 6–7, 6–3, 6–4), ending at 1:30 a.m.

Prior to this year's tournament, Tien had never won a main-draw match at the US Open. He has now rocketed from outside the top 200 into the world's top 15.

Next up, the young American faces a massive test against former semifinalist Karen Khachanov for a spot in the quarterfinals scheduled around 7 p.m. Monday.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, please repost.