The 2025 Cincinnati Open has been a rollercoaster of drama, with Mother Nature playing as fierce a role as any competitor. For Jessica Pegula, the world No. 4 and last year’s finalist, the tournament delivered a crushing blow as she fell to Poland’s Magda Linette in a third-round upset, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6. The match, marred by rain delays and lightning interruptions, saw Pegula rally from a set down only to falter when play resumed, marking another chapter in her turbulent season. As the US Open looms, this unexpected defeat raises questions about her form and resilience, while her opponent celebrated a career-defining victory.
Pegula, a nine-time WTA singles champion and the 2024 US Open finalist, entered Cincinnati with high expectations after a strong start against Kimberly Birrell, dispatching her 6-4, 6-3. But her third-round clash with Linette, ranked No. 40, proved a different beast. The match began chaotically, with both players trading breaks in a sloppy first set that Linette clinched in a tiebreak, 7-5. Rain and thunderstorms disrupted the second set twice, forcing a suspension of play on Tuesday night after Pegula fought back to level the score at 6-3. “It hasn’t been great, to be honest. I don’t really feel like I’m playing great tennis. At times I am, but I feel very up and down, kind of sloppy, which I don’t like. It really bothers me,” Pegula had admitted after her recent Montreal exit, a sentiment that seemed to echo in her inconsistent performance.
When play resumed on Wednesday, August 13, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, Pegula had a golden opportunity to seize control. She earned two consecutive break points early in the decisive set but failed to convert, a misstep that proved costly. Linette, seizing her moment, broke Pegula in the eighth game and served out the match with confidence, leaving the American stunned and the home crowd reeling. For Linette, the victory was monumental. “It feels so good. I had so many tough matches on this court. I lost so many 3 setters. I never really got close to getting a set off her before. To me, it means so much. She’s such an unbelievable ballstriker and competitor. Unbelievable person off the court. I just feel this day is really special that I got the chance to beat her,” Linette beamed, her words reflecting the magnitude of her triumph over a player who had dominated their head-to-head 3-0.
The Cincinnati Open has been no stranger to chaos this week. A dense cloud of smoke billowed over the venue on Monday, prompting fire trucks and a power shutdown, while a player’s collapse on court underscored the punishing conditions. Tuesday’s rain and Wednesday’s lightning delays, which also halted matches like Alexander Zverev’s clash with Brandon Nakashima, added to the tournament’s unpredictability. Pegula, who is also competing in women’s doubles and plans to partner with Tommy Paul in the US Open’s revamped mixed doubles event, expressed mixed feelings about the latter’s format. “I’m honored that they asked me to play. I think it’s going to be great, I think it’s going to be fun and I think the fans will really enjoy it,” she said, before adding, “At the same time, how they went about it, I didn’t think was really great.”
Pegula’s 2025 season has been a tale of highs and lows. With three titles—Bad Homburg, Charleston, and Austin—and a 37-15 record, she’s proven her mettle, notably defeating Iga Swiatek at Bad Homburg. Yet, early exits at Wimbledon, Montreal, and now Cincinnati, where she’ll lose 585 ranking points, threaten her No. 4 ranking. Her candid reflection on her career’s timeline adds another layer of intrigue. At 31, Pegula has hinted at retirement by 35, ruling out a long career like Venus Williams. “I don’t, I would definitely not be playing at 35, definitely not,” she said, noting a conversation with Coco Gauff about playing until the 2028 LA Olympics. “She was like, ‘You can’t retire before then!’” Pegula recalled, laughing.
As Pegula heads to the US Open, where she reached the final in 2024, the pressure mounts to rediscover her rhythm. Her Cincinnati loss, while a setback, is a reminder of tennis’s unpredictability and the fine margins that define success. With her talent and determination, Pegula remains a formidable contender, but this defeat underscores the challenges she faces in a season of peaks and valleys.
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