US Open: Jessica Pegula vs. Sofia Kenin - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

Fresh disconnected coming done a conflict of erstwhile Grand Slam champions successful circular one, Sofia Kenin takes connected 2024 US Open finalist Jessica Pegula successful Wednesday's 2nd round.

Kenin bushed seasoned Venus Williams successful the aboriginal hours of Monday but faces a much daunting imaginable successful Pegula, who precocious made it to the finals successful Washington and Cincinnati and is simply a steadfast favourite to scope the past 8 oregon semi-finals successful New York.

Jessica Pegula vs. Sofia Kenin lucifer preview

It was efficaciously concern arsenic accustomed for Pegula successful New York connected Sunday arsenic the 2024 runner-up dispatched Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-2.

Not since 2019's tournament-opening nonaccomplishment to Alize Cornet has the American exited aboriginal astatine Flushing Meadows, falling successful consecutive sets to the Frenchwoman 7 years ago, which came 3 years aft she won conscionable 2 games successful a first-round nonaccomplishment to Agnieszka Radwanska.

A precocious bloomer, the 32-year-old has enjoyed much occurrence successful Queens implicit the past 4 years, reaching the quarter-final successful 3 of those appearances and advancing to the past 4 erstwhile earlier making the rubric lucifer successful 2024.

Pegula's latest triumph means that she has claimed 10 Grand Slam lucifer wins successful consecutive seasons — 2025 and 2026 — aft turning 30, emulating Serena Williams's 2018-2019 feat.

Now, the 3rd effect seeks her 11th triumph successful 2026 to beforehand to the 3rd round, wherever Mananchaya Sawangkaew oregon Leylah Annie Fernandez awaits.

Standing successful the 2024 runner-up's mode is Kenin, mounting up a rematch of their 2024 brushwood that Kenin mislaid but hopes to avenge this year.

The 27-year-old took connected Williams connected Monday greeting successful the latest commencement to a lucifer astatine the tournament, and they could person finished arsenic the latest lucifer excessively had Kenin not saved a plethora of acceptable points successful the 2nd set.

The 46-year-old held 3 acceptable points connected Kenin's service astatine 5-4 and besides led 6-2 successful the second-set shootout, but the 2020 Australian Open champion held her nervus successful some situations to debar a deciding set.

The wildcard's reward for that triumph is simply a seventh gathering with Pegula connected the WTA Tour, but she faces the situation of outdoing her caller performances astatine the starring events.

Kenin has yet to advancement beyond the 2nd circular astatine immoderate Grand Slam successful 2026 and so astatine the past 5 Majors since reaching the 3rd circular astatine the 2025 French Open.

Indeed, not since 2020 has the one-time Slam victor progressed past the 2nd circular astatine her location Slam, erstwhile she reached the past 16, with consequent appearances ending successful the archetypal oregon 2nd round.

Those statistic item the uphill situation up of facing the 11-time WTA champion connected Wednesday arsenic she seeks back-to-back all-American victories successful Flushing.

Tournament truthful far

Jessica Pegula vs. Sofia Kenin head-to-head

Pegula heads into Wednesday's lucifer against Kenin starring their head-to-head 4-2 and connected a two-match winning tally against her compatriot.

The 32-year-old notably secured a straight-sets triumph implicit the 2020 Australian Open victor 2 years agone en way to reaching the tournament's rubric lucifer earlier falling to Aryna Sabalenka.

Kenin had won their erstwhile Grand Slam gathering astatine the 2021 French Open, though Pegula has since go a antithetic player, efficaciously disregarding that encounter.

Kenin, a erstwhile satellite No. 4, has yet to bushed a top-10 subordinate successful 2 tries this year, losing to Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova successful Brisbane and Wimbledon, respectively, albeit taking Anisimova to a decider astatine SW19.

A deeper look astatine the satellite No. 110's grounds against the elite reads 1 triumph successful her past 9 against the starring stars, stressing however overmuch of a favourite Pegula is successful their second-round match.

We say: Pegula to triumph successful 2 sets

Having reached the Washington and Cincinnati rubric matches, albeit losing to Alexandra Eala and Coco Gauff respectively, Pegula is undeniably 1 of the in-form hard-court players entering the last Slam of 2026.

As such, the 3rd effect is backed to instrumentality down her countrywoman Kenin successful consecutive sets, avoiding her earliest exit successful Queens since 2021 to scope the 3rd round.