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Jessica Pegula beat Sofia Kenin 6-3, 7-5 in the final to win the Charleston Open 2025. The top seed was down 1-5 in the second set before reeling off the next six games to secure the title. It marked her second title of the season, the eighth of her career and her first on clay.
Pegula's victory at the Charleston Open is significant for another reason. She grew up a couple of hours away from the tournament venue at Hilton Head, South Carolina, so this win makes it extra special. However, this isn't the first time that she has won a title intertwining with her family's history.
Pegula's paternal grandparents grew up in Canada, with her grandmother hailing from Montreal and her grandfather being from Toronto. The Canadian Open, one of the oldest WTA 1000 tournaments on the WTA Tour, alternates between those two cities every year.
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She won the Canadian Open when it was held in Montreal in 2023 and defended her title a year later when it was held in Toronto. During her victory speech last year, she dedicated each of her titles to her grandparents.
"My grandparents are here. They are actually Canadian. And if I’m saying this right, I think my grandma is from Montreal, and my grandpa is from Toronto. Yeah, okay, so I have one in each city, so you know one for each of you guys," Pegula said.
Pegula's diverse family history comes into play from her mother's side as well. Her mother, Kim Pegula, was born in Seoul, South Korea and was later adopted by an American couple. She competed at the Korea Open for the first time in 2019 but was thoroughly disappointed by the outcome as she lost in the first round.
The American returned to compete in Seoul in 2023 and this time she was a woman on a mission. She dropped only one set en route to the title at the birthplace of her mother. She later stated that she loved the entire experience and it was special to win a title where her mother was born, something very few players are privileged to accomplish.
"I am actually half Korean, I'm sorry I don't speak, but I do like Korean barbecue and I do like kimchi, I guess that's the Korean in me. But yes, my mom is Korean and she was adopted from here so it's really special to be able to win here and not a lot of people can say that," Pegula said.
Pegula now has a title commemorating her mother, her grandparents and her childhood home. She came quite close to winning a title that would've been a tribute to her father and husband's beloved city but faltered at the final hurdle.
Winning the US Open would continue Jessica Pegula's trend of honoring her family members with a title
Even though Jessica Pegula's father, noted businessman Terry Pegula, hails from Pennsylvania, he has made New York his home. He's the owner of several team sports representing New York, such as the Buffalo Bills in the NFL and the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL.
Pegula's husband, Taylor Gahagen, whom she married in 2021, was born and brought up in New York as well. She was also born in Buffalo, New York before she moved elsewhere. The US Open, one of the biggest tournaments in tennis, is also held in New York.
She had already won titles honoring her grandparents and mother before the US Open 2024. While she had an opportunity to do the same for her father and husband, she had yet to breach the quarterfinal mark of a Major heading into the season's final Grand Slam last year.
However, Pegula broke that unfavorable trend with her win over Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals of last year's US Open. She staged a stunning comeback to beat Karolina Muchova in the semifinals to book her spot in a Major final for the first time in her career.
Pegula took on Aryna Sabalenka for a shot at her maiden Grand Slam title. She gave a good account of herself but lost to her rival 7-5, 7-5. The defeat also brought an end to her hopes of winning a title in significant places for her father and husband in this case.
Pegula, who currently resides in Boca Raton, Florida, missed an opportunity to honor her present residence a week ago. She reached the final of the Miami Open for the first time but was beaten by Sabalenka once again.
Pegula will be keen to make up for these losses. Madison Keys' triumph at the Australian Open would've given her hope of her own breakthrough at a Major as well. The latter won her maiden Major title earlier this year after being on the tour for over 15 years.
Pegula has been ranked in the top 10 continuously since June 2021. Her victory at the Charleston Open pushed her back to her career-high ranking of No. 3 this week. She thus replaced Coco Gauff as the highest-ranked American woman on the tour. Given her consistency, her chances of a Major triumph remain high. A win at the US Open would complete her set of titles in significant cities for her family.
