Jessica Pegula Wins 2nd National Bank Open Title

TORONTO (AP) — Jessica Pegula, the No. 3 seed and sixth-ranked player on the WTA Tour, successfully defended her title at the National Bank Open by defeating fellow American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 in a closely contested final on Monday. Pegula, hailing from Buffalo, New York, has now improved her record at the Canadian tennis championship to an impressive 17-2, marking her sixth career tournament victory. Anisimova, ranked No. 132 in the world, showcased her resilience throughout the tournament, having returned to competitive play after a mental health break. She notably defeated three top-20 players, including No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals, demonstrating her potential for a strong comeback. The final was significant as it was only the second time since 2009 that two American women faced off in a WTA 1000 event, the first being in 2016. The match saw Pegula take an early lead, breaking Anisimova in the first game and securing the first set. However, Anisimova fought back in the second set, overcoming a love-40 deficit to break Pegula and ultimately take the set, marking Pegula's first dropped set of the tournament. The final also marked a historic moment, as it was the first time since 2001 that two American women competed for Canada’s national championship. With this victory, Pegula becomes the first player to achieve 10 consecutive wins in women’s singles at the Canadian Open since Serena Williams, who had a streak of 14 wins from 2011 to 2014.