American tennis star Jessica Pegula stormed into the 2026 Australian Open women’s singles semi-finals with a commanding 6‑2, 7‑6 (7‑1) victory over compatriot Amanda Anisimova on Wednesday at Melbourne Park. Hailing from Buffalo, New York, Pegula continues to make her mark on the Grand Slam stage, now reaching the semi-finals at Melbourne for the first time in her career.
The sixth-seeded Pegula set the tone early, breaking Anisimova’s serve and racing to a 5‑1 lead in the opening set. Her strong baseline game and precise serving, including six aces, helped her close the set in about 30 minutes. Anisimova, the fourth seed, struggled with consistency, committing 44 unforced errors against Pegula’s 21.
The second set was tighter, with both players holding serve until the tiebreak. Pegula dominated the decider, sealing the match and denying Anisimova a chance to push it to a third set. After the loss, Anisimova acknowledged Pegula’s steadiness as the key factor.
Pegula now faces fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in Thursday’s semi-final. Rybakina advanced by defeating world No. 2 Iga Swiatek 7‑5, 6‑1, preventing a career Grand Slam for the Pole in Melbourne.
With her confidence high and hard-court game firing on all cylinders, Pegula will aim to reach her first Grand Slam final.
