The electric atmosphere at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, has reached a fever pitch as the 2025 U.S. Open surges into its second week. With both the men’s and women’s draws brimming with star power and compelling storylines, fans are glued to their screens, eager to see who will seize tennis glory in Flushing Meadows this year.
On Sunday, August 31, American Jessica Pegula delivered a masterclass in composure and aggression, dispatching compatriot Ann Li 6-1, 6-2 in just 54 minutes to secure her place in the quarter-finals. Pegula, seeded fourth, has been candid about the mental hurdles she’s faced this summer. After a difficult stretch that included a first-round exit at Wimbledon and underwhelming showings in Washington, Montreal, and Cincinnati, Pegula credited an unconventional pre-tournament activity for her turnaround.
“I felt terrible coming into this tournament, honestly,” Pegula admitted after her victory. She revealed that a night out with friends, which included tackling an escape room and unwinding with a couple of drinks, helped her reset. “We went and did an escape room with my friends and had, like, two drinks and [realised] I need to just chill and stop getting so frustrated and overthinking all these practices,” Pegula told reporters, highlighting the importance of mental relaxation in her resurgence.
Pegula’s performance against Li was nothing short of dominant. She won six of nine break points and hit 12 winners, breaking Li’s serve six times. Her aggressive approach was evident not only from the baseline—her traditional stronghold—but also at the net, a facet of her game she’s been working to sharpen. “I felt really comfortable moving in today and coming in at the right times. It doesn’t always feel that good, but it started well and I wanted to keep executing that until the last game,” Pegula explained. She added, “It’s a part of my game I can really use as a weapon. Sometimes I get stuck at the back because I’m so good there, but we’ve worked on that a lot and my coaches are happy when I’m finishing overheads and volleys at the net.”
Ann Li, ranked 58th in the world, was no pushover. She entered the match ranked second for aces in the tournament, with 22 from her first three matches, and looked confident enough to serve first after winning the toss. But Li’s nerves were apparent early on, resulting in 10 unforced errors and a meager 8% win rate on her second serve in the opening set. Pegula pounced, never letting Li find her rhythm. “I know when she’s serving well and has confidence she’s really dangerous,” Pegula said of her opponent. “I felt like she came out a little slow and nervous and I wanted to jump on that and not let her feel comfortable for a second, that was my motivation all match.”
Looking ahead, Pegula faces a formidable challenge in the quarter-finals: Barbora Krejcikova, the 2024 Wimbledon champion. Krejcikova staged one of the tournament’s most dramatic comebacks, saving eight match points to defeat Taylor Townsend 1-6, 7-6 (15-13), 6-3 in a marathon lasting three hours and four minutes. The Czech star’s journey back to the top has been anything but straightforward. Earlier this year, Krejcikova was sidelined with a persistent back injury, casting doubt on her future in the sport. “What a match. Just four months ago I was off the court and I couldn’t play, I had pain in my back and I didn’t know if I’d ever be back, and here I am,” Krejcikova reflected after securing her first U.S. Open quarter-final berth since 2021.
The match against Townsend was a rollercoaster. Townsend, the world’s top-ranked doubles player but ranked 139th in singles, had already made headlines by ousting Jelena Ostapenko and fifth seed Mirra Andreeva. She stormed through the first set, winning six straight games and electrifying the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd. But Krejcikova’s resilience shone through in a second set filled with tension and unforced errors. The tie-break was an epic, with Krejcikova fending off eight match points before finally clinching the set on her fourth opportunity. That momentum carried her through the decider, though Townsend briefly rallied to level the set before Krejcikova broke again and served out the match.
Townsend was philosophical in defeat. “It just stings because I literally gave everything. She came up with some really, really great tennis in moments where she was down, and I thought I had it,” Townsend said. “I’m exactly where I need to be. I’m playing the tennis I need to play to be inside the top 20, top 10, to win a Grand Slam.”
While Pegula and Krejcikova prepare for their high-stakes showdown, the broader U.S. Open field remains packed with intrigue. Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are still in the hunt, with Sinner set to face Vit Kopriva and Sabalenka taking on Rebeka Masarova in their respective first-round matches. The men’s draw also features heavyweights like Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Novak Djokovic, while the women’s side boasts stars such as Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Madison Keys, and Jasmine Paolini.
Fans can catch all the action on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Tennis Channel, and ESPN Deportes, with comprehensive streaming available on ESPN’s newly rebranded ESPN+ platform. For cord-cutters, ESPN offers two streaming tiers: the ESPN Unlimited package at $29.99 per month (bundled with Disney+ and Hulu for a limited time), and ESPN Select at $11.99 per month. DirecTV’s Choice tier is also available at a promotional rate for new subscribers, providing access to all major sports channels and unlimited cloud DVR storage. International viewers can take advantage of free coverage in Australia (9Now) and New Zealand (TVNZ+), and U.S. fans can use VPN services like ExpressVPN to access those streams.
The tournament schedule is jam-packed, with the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals all slated for broadcast across multiple platforms. The women’s singles final will take place on Saturday, September 6, while the men’s championship match is set for Sunday, September 7. With so many compelling narratives unfolding, from Pegula’s mental reset to Krejcikova’s gritty comeback, the 2025 U.S. Open is shaping up to be a classic.
As the quarter-finals approach, all eyes will be on Pegula and Krejcikova—a battle not just of skill, but of resilience and belief. The action continues, and with every match, the stakes only get higher in Queens.
