Jessica Pegula has etched her name into tennis history with a milestone no other active WTA star can claim. Fresh off her Charleston Open triumph—a straight-sets victory over Sofia Kenin—the 31-year-old has surged to a career-high world No. 3 ranking, dethroning Coco Gauff as America’s top player. But beyond the rankings leap lies a far rarer achievement: Pegula now stands alone as the only active player to win titles on hard, grass, and clay courts, outshining even the sport’s biggest names.
Jessica Pegula’s historic triple-crown mastery
Pegula’s Charleston Open win wasn’t just another trophy—it completed a career trifecta. With this clay-court crown, she joins an elite group of players to conquer all three surfaces, a feat that continues to elude world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and even the prodigious Coco Gauff.
While Sabalenka (19 titles) and Swiatek (22) boast far heavier silverware collections, neither owns a grass-court title. Sabalenka’s two grass finals losses and Swiatek’s lone junior Wimbledon win pale next to Pegula’s 2023 Berlin Open grass triumph.
Gauff, despite her meteoric rise, hasn’t fared better. The 20-year-old’s best grass result remains a 2023 Wimbledon semifinal, a far cry from Jessica Pegula’s gritty adaptability.
“It’s surreal,” Pegula said post-match, reflecting on her 8th career title. “I’ve always prided myself on adjusting to any court. To finally check all three boxes… it’s special.”
The Charleston final itself was a microcosm of Pegula’s resilience. Kenin, a former Australian Open champ, pushed her through grueling rallies, but Pegula’s precision and stamina prevailed. Her ability to shift from hard-court aggression to clay’s patient grind underscores the tactical maturity that’s redefined her late-career surge.
While Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek dominate headlines, Pegula’s consistency across surfaces paints her as the tour’s ultimate dark horse. With 12 semifinal appearances in her last 15 events, she’s quietly compiling a legacy defined not by quantity, but versatility. As one analyst noted, “In an era of specialists, Jessica Pegula’s a throwback—a problem solver on any stage.”
For now, the tennis world’s gaze remains fixed on young stars like Coco Gauff. But Pegula’s landmark achievement is a reminder: greatness isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s the steady climb of a player who masters every terrain.