Mar 27, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Jessica Pegula (USA) celebrates after match point against Alexandra Eala (PHL)(not pictured) in a women's singles semifinal on day ten of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.

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Top Seed Jessica Pegula Pulls Off Epic Comeback vs Danielle Collins to Reach Charleston Open 2025 Semifinal

Pegula reaches third straight Charleston Open semifinal, will face Alexandrova.

Being down a set and break, things were looking very bleak for World No. 4 Jessica Pegula on Credit One Stadium. Taking to court first up for her quarterfinal encounter, the top seed left fans with stunned eyes as she crumbled to a potential exit in Charleston. But as all great champions do, Pegula fought tooth and nail to pull off a comeback win against defending champion Danielle Collins 1-6 6-3 6-0.

Collins entered the match with an abundance of confidence. She has made all the headlines this week, for her on-court prowess as well as the viral clips with her newly adopted dog. The American won the crown in the iconic green clay court event in 2024, thrashing Daria Kasatkina in the final. For Pegula, a third consecutive semifinal appearance at this event was on the line.

With high stakes and high quality in front of fans’ eyes, the two women did not let anyone down.

Jessica Pegula Digs Deep in Come-From-Behind Win Over Danielle Collins in Charleston

Having won Miami and Charleston back-to-back last year, Danielle Collins showed signs of similar form when the quarterfinal began. She produced a host of winners on both wings, taking the ball on the rise like the fiery Collins we’ve come to know. The American was particularly effective in her cross-court stroke play, and raced ahead to a 6-1 2-0 lead in the blink of an eye. Pegula seemed lost at the receiving end of this onslaught, and had to change things up.

The shift in momentum started in the fourth game of the second set. Withstanding a barrage of forehands by Collins, Pegula converted her second break point and won a marathon game to level things up at 2-2. With an entertained crowd fully on her side, the 2024 US Open champion served much better and improved her defensive skills to take the match into a decider.

As the final set commenced, a slightly tired Collins meant that Pegula had more time to find her range. She ably mixed her top spins and slices – throwing in some vital drop shots into the mix as well. The 2022 Australian Open finalist appeared to be out of responses against the top seed and ended the match with 55 unforced errors as opposed to 33 winners.

”Relieved” Pegula Ready for Charleston Open 2025 Final

In the aftermath of the blockbuster last eight battle, Jessica Pegula admitted that she wasn’t ready for the power-packed start by the current trophy-holder. “That was really tough,” she debriefed. “Obviously she can play well here. She’s the defending champion, and she came out just firing. I was not ready for that at all. Luckily, I was able to dig my heels into that second set and play some good tennis.”

Jessie-mania at the desk 😄@jpegula | #charlestonopen pic.twitter.com/NBZUigWZhL
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) April 4, 2025

Pegula is in the midst of a great spring season, having made the Miami Open final and capping it off with a strong outing on the green clay. “I don’t even know if I got fired up,” she said. “I just got relieved when she missed a couple of balls and I was like ‘ugh, thank goodness, giving me a chance!’”

Jessica Pegula will face Ekaterina Alexandrova on semifinal Saturday. The Russian defeated third seed Zheng Qinwen in her quarterfinal clash. In the other half, either Sofia Kenin or Amanda Anisimova will await in the final.

Charleston Open

Danielle Collins

Ekaterina Alexandrova

Jessica Pegula

Tennis

WTA

Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.