Aryna Sabalenka has always been Jessica Pegula’s kryptonite. Before their matchup in the Wuhan Open semi-finals, Sabalenka comfortably led Pegula in the H2H tally, with a dominant 8-2 record. But the American got her shot to trump Sabalenka in Wuhan, and she did not miss this time. “For what I did in the tie-break, I’m just really proud of myself,” Pegula said after defeating the World No. 1. And even Serena Williams’ ex-coach took notice of her performance.

After witnessing Pegula’s win over Sabalenka, 23-time slam queen Serena Williams’ ex-trainer and former Australian pro Rennae Stubbs was highly impressed. In an episode of her podcast, dated October 14, she lauded Pegula, saying, “Oh my God, how the hell did Jess Pegula make the final? Not based on the fact that we know how well she can play, but what the f—? I mean, that girl was on the court for 20 million hours.”  Up until this match, Pegula had played three consecutive three-set matches, which no doubt would have been tiring.

This was a huge victory for Pegula, considering the fact that Sabalenka has been called the ‘queen of Wuhan’, having won this tournament in 2018, 2019, and 2024. And Stubbs noted how difficult it has been for Pegula to defeat Sabalenka in big matches.

WUHAN, CHINA – OCTOBER 09: Jessica Pegula of United States returns a shot in the Women s Singles Round of 16 match against Ekaterina Alexandrova on day 6 of 2025 Wuhan Open at Optics Valley International Tennis Center on October 9, 2025 in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN Copyright: xVCGx 111596103307However, this time, Pegula didn’t care about their previous clashes and outcomes. Per the ex-WTA pro, the 31-year-old “had that attitude of ‘fuck this s—’.” And just like that, “Jess kind of started playing unbelievably.”

 Trying to decode how Pegula must have approached this battle against the three-time Wuhan winner, she added, “’Can’t lose again. F—it’. And then just started hitting winners all over the place and Sabalenka couldn’t hit a ball.”

Later, however, Pegula’s mesmerizing campaign in Wuhan came to an unexpected conclusion. In the final, compatriot Coco Gauff bested her in straight sets, winning 6-4, 7-5, to capture the title. Still, the overall event turned out to be a success for Pegula, and there is a huge reason for that.

Jessica Pegula confirms her WTA Finals ticket, thanks to Wuhan

Before the Wuhan Open, Jessica Pegula’s spot in this season’s year-end WTA finals event wasn’t fully locked in. Hence, she had to make a deep run to make it official. Her compatriots, such as Amanda Anisimova, Coco Gauff, and Madison Keys, had already confirmed their appearances.

After reaching the finals in Wuhan, Pegula became the fourth American player this season to qualify for the WTA Finals. This meant she will be playing in the year-end tournament for a fourth-straight season. Previously, she has competed in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions.

Moving forward, Pegula will look to improve her record this time in the prestigious tournament. Her best run in Riyadh includes making it to the summit clash two years ago. Back then, however, Iga Swiatek denied her the title.

In 2025, the American star would like to finally capture the coveted trophy and wrap up this season on a high note. It will be intriguing to see how her campaign transpires this time.