Pegula begins title defence with win in Toronto as Osaka ease past Ons Jabeur

Jessica Pegula, after three remarkably consistent seasons at the top of the Hologic WTA Tour began campaign in Canada at the National Bank Open with a big win on Wednesday.

The world no.6 kicked off her Canadian title defense on Wednesday night with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Karolina Pliskova in the second round of Toronto.

“I saw a stat that I’ve made the semis of either Toronto and Montreal since 2021, Pegula told reporters before the National Bank Open. “Sometimes you don’t realize it, but you’re like, God, I was playing really well. In the moment, you’re not really thinking about that, but now that I’ve had a tougher year and I look back, I’m like, ‘Wow.’ I was good. I won a lot of matches.

“Not that I still don’t think I’m good, but I just mean the consistency week in and week out was pretty crazy. I can’t believe I did any of that, looking back.”

With 13 wins at the Canadian Open, Jessica Pegula has equalled her most wins at a single WTA event in her career (13 wins each at the Australian Open and Miami Open).

Pegula who won the WTA 1000 in Montreal, the WTA 250 in Seoul, and finished runner-up at the WTA Finals will next know her round 16 opponent soon.

Elsewhere, Former World No.1 Naomi Osaka rolled to a 6-3, 6-1 win over No.9 seed Ons Jabeur in Wednesday’s first round of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.

Osaka will next face Elise Mertens in what will be a seventh career meeting between the pairs, against whom she’s 1-1 this year.

The Belgian won in Indian Wells, while Osaka won her first grass-court match in five years against Mertens in Hertogenbosch.