Jessica Pegula tops McCartney Kessler to capture first WTA title of 2025 in Austin

AUSTIN – World No. 4 Jessica Pegula powered to her first WTA title of 2025 on March 2, beating McCartney Kessler 7-5, 6-2 in an all-American final in Austin, Texas.

Pegula, the top seed, claimed a seventh WTA title and her first since she won the 1000 event in Toronto in 2024.

That was one of Pegula’s two titles in a 2024 campaign in which she also reached the US Open final.

In Kessler she stopped a fast-rising talent, whose first two WTA finals had yielded a pair of titles – WTA 250 Hobart International in January and the WTA 250 Tennis in the Land in Cleveland last August.

The 25-year-old arrived in Austin riding high after claiming her first career win over a top-10 player with the upset of compatriot Coco Gauff in the second round at Dubai. But she could not find a way past Pegula, who snapped a three-match losing streak in finals for a confidence-building crown heading into the prestigious hard-court tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami.

Pegula, the only top-10 player in the draw, dropped just one set all week.

Kessler looked set to change that when she rallied from 0-2 down to take a 4-2 lead in the first set. But too many unforced errors from Kessler allowed Pegula to get back in front. After Kessler missed a chance to break in the 11th game, she was broken in the next as Pegula pocketed the first set.

“Use your experience, use your variety,” Pegula’s co-coach, Mark Knowles told her after the first set.

Kessler broke Pegula to open the second, but Pegula won the next four games to seize control.

Elsewhere, top seed Emma Navarro made light work of Colombian qualifier Emiliana Arango with a crushing 6-0, 6-0 victory in the Merida Open final