TORONTO — Jessica Pegula held a trophy over her head and she had a giant smile on her face while fireworks exploded behind her, adding further evidence to just how good the Buffalo, NY, native is when she plays north of the border.
With her grandparents, her husband and a lot of friends in the crowd at Sobeys Stadium on Monday night, the 30-year-old defended her National Bank Open title, becoming the first woman to win it back-to-back in more than two decades.
“I don’t know what it is about Canada, but yeah, I seem to do well, so I’ll take it,” Pegula said, laughing, with the big trophy sitting beside her, after a three-set victory that brings her all-time record in this country to a sparkling 17-2.
“I really wanted this one. I know everyone’s talking about my record and all this stuff, but it’s nice to be able to get through the week and to back it up, so just super excited. I mean, (it’s) an honour, really.”
In the all-American final, the world No. 6 earned a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 win over Amanda Anisimova from New Jersey to earn her sixth career WTA title. This second National Bank Open title comes in Toronto, much closer to home than her 2023 title win in Montreal.
Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand earned their way into the doubles title match later Sunday, but that title was also won by Americans, as the No. 1 seeded duo were upset by Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk, 7-6, 3-6 (10-7).
With her win, Pegula joins a short list of players to defend her singles title in Canada. The last player to win two straight women’s singles titles at the National Bank Open was Martina Hingis, in 1999 and 2000.
After it was over, Pegula and Anisimova shared a hug at the net, then Pegula walked back onto center court to wave at her fans. Anisimova, who was making her debut in a WTA 1000 final, sat in her court-side chair and whipped her racquet into the court.
The 22-year-old wiped tears off her face before she went up to accept her runner-up trophy. Last season, Anisimova took a break from this sport due to burnout and returned this season, ranked 132nd in the world before this tournament began.
“There have been a lot of emotions today from the morning, before the match, and all day,” Anisimova said, when it was over. “I mean, it’s an important and big day for me, but I just wanted to be proud of myself with everything that I could do today. I think I did my best and, I mean, at least I can go to sleep knowing that I did that, and that I’m proud of myself.”
That she felt proud of herself is something Anisimova made sure to mention in her acceptance speech on court, too.
“I just wanted to say that, and maybe spread the message to other people that you can be proud of yourself, and to just push through challenges or whatever it is, and at the end of the day, it’s only you… and you only have yourself, so I think that’s really important,” she said. “Hopefully a lot of players can kind of think about that, because it’s not easy playing an individual sport, dealing with losses is not easy, so hopefully that can send the right message.”
Pegula described Anisimova as “shy,” and said she was proud of her for sharing with the crowd, knowing how difficult that would’ve been, especially coming after a loss.
Pegula took control of this match early, making good on her first break point in the first game before holding Anisimova to love in her service game to take a 2-0 lead.
“I thought I came out playing really well, as good as I could, serving as well as I possibly can, especially (since) it was still a little breezy out there,” Pegula said.
Anisimova showed signs of frustration in the first set, looking at her coach with her arms up, bouncing a ball hard against the court. She double-faulted to give Pegula set point in the first, which took just 27 minutes.
In the second set, Anisimova battled back. Down 0-40 in her first service game, she not only came back to win that game, but she then converted on her first break point of the match after a lengthy rally, finishing with a down-the-line forehand that got the crowd cheering. She earned her second break to go up 5-2 after Pegula double-faulted for the third time in the match.
“I really thought I had it there after the second set, but she really stepped it up, and she was playing some amazing tennis,” Anisimova said. “It was a very, very difficult match out there today.”
Anisimova, who has been ranked as high as 21st in the world, is now back up to 49th after her result in Toronto.
“I took the break last year, I stepped away from the sport, and probably not a lot of people knew how I would come back or results I would be having. I didn’t either, I mean, nobody could predict that,” she said. “I put the work in, I kept my head down, and I tried to come back to the sport with more of a relaxed feeling, you know, trying to enjoy each day as it comes and not being so serious about everything, because I think that takes away the joy from a lot of things. I think with that kind of approach to my everyday life, I think that’s helped me a lot.”
Anisimova was the only player to take a set from Pegula all tournament long.
Pegula bounced back quickly in the third, earning an early break to take a 2-0 lead after Anisimova double-faulted for the second time in the match to give Pegula a game. Pegula then converted on a break point to go up 4-0, after Anisimova sent a forehand into the net.
“The third, I was just like, I need to pick up my energy here, and I need to come and start off the third and get on her really quickly,” Pegula said. “Especially someone that can have such big ball-striking ability and hit winners and kind of boss you around the court, you know, you want a good lead from someone like that in the third.”
Pegula built up a healthy lead, and when Anisimova’s shot went long on match point, Pegula did a long fist pump and yelled and looked over to her family and coaches in the stands.
Later, she ran over to give them all hugs at what feels as much like a home tournament as Pegula will get on tour. She doesn’t often get friends and family out to watch her play in person.
“Then to be able to win the tournament as well, and be able to share that moment with them is really special,” she said.
Her grandmother is from Montreal, and her grandpa is from Toronto. As Pegula told them on court after her win: “That’s one for each of you guys.”