The French Open has seen some incredible legends make history on its famous red clay. In the early days before the Open Era, Max Decugis reigned supreme with eight titles at the French Championships, which were then only open to French club members. Another icon from that era, Suzanne Lenglen, claimed six titles herself. Fast forward to the Open Era, and Chris Evert set the standard among women with seven French Open singles titles—a record that stood strong until Rafael Nadal shattered it in 2013 by winning his eighth and going on to claim 14 titles.
As the clay-court season approaches, American tennis star Jessica Pegula is entering with high hopes. On Saturday, she secured her second title of the 2025 season at the Charleston Open. She faced off against fellow American and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, winning the match in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5. This win pushed Pegula’s world ranking up to No. 3, a position she last held in October 2022. Now, she has also surpassed Coco Gauff to become the highest-ranked American player.
After the final, Pegula sat down for a chat with Tennis Channel. The conversation took an interesting turn away from tennis and toward ice hockey. They brought up Alex Ovechkin’s remarkable achievement—he recently surpassed Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer by netting his 895th goal, a record Gretzky held since retiring in 1999. This led to a question: could Rafael Nadal’s record of 14 French Open titles ever be broken?
Pegula responded with optimism, saying, “You never know. We always say ‘never say never.’ Records seem impossible until someone breaks them. So, it’s really cool.” She pointed out how many seemingly unbreakable records have fallen over the years.
A prime example is Novak Djokovic, who recently broke Roger Federer’s long-standing record of 310 weeks at world No. 1, setting a new mark of 428 weeks. He also matched Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. While Nadal’s dominance at Roland Garros remains unmatched, there are others making waves at the tournament too.
One standout is Iga Swiatek. The Polish star has already captured four French Open titles (2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024), establishing herself as a dominant clay-court player. Along with her 2022 U.S. Open title, she’s made a strong case for future record-breaking potential.
As for Pegula, her performance at Charleston marked her fourth final appearance of the season. She reached the final after a hard-fought semifinal victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova, coming back to win 6-2, 2-6, 7-5. In the quarterfinals, she defeated defending champion Danielle Collins. The final against Kenin was especially meaningful, as it was the first all-American final in Charleston since 1990, when Martina Navratilova faced Jennifer Capriati.
After the match, Pegula commented on the strength of American women’s tennis today. She noted, “It’s awesome. It shows how deep the talent is right now—there are so many of us, it’s almost annoying!” Indeed, the American women’s game is buzzing with talent.
Madison Keys, for example, won her first Grand Slam title earlier this year. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff made history by winning the 2023 U.S. Open at just 19 years old. The top 10 rankings are now seeing more American players than in recent years. Pegula said she’s proud to be part of such a competitive and exciting group, adding, “Every week, there’s someone to root for. I’m just happy I’m part of it.”
American tennis has a rich history of greatness. Icons like Navratilova, who won nine Wimbledon titles, and Bill Tilden, with seven U.S. Championships, helped shape its legacy. Pete Sampras claimed 14 Grand Slam titles, and Chris Evert’s seven French Open wins were a benchmark. And of course, Serena Williams’ 23 Grand Slam titles remain one of the greatest achievements in tennis history.
Now, with a wave of American talent on the rise, the big question is: could this be the start of a new era of dominance in American tennis? Pegula’s recent form suggests it just might be.