'I thought I had already lost,' Peyton Stearns scripts the greatest comeback of the year by winning against Lucia Bronzetti after being 0-5, 30-40 down in last set

When I was down 0–5, I told myself that I had already lost and that any extra point was just training. an ecstatic Peyton Stearns said

The unseeded American was one point away from being handed a bagel (6-0) in the final set. Remarkably, she reeled off seven games in a row to turn the set on its head and win 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.

Despite making her first WTA Final at Copa Colsanitas last season, it’s safe to say that this is her proudest accomplishment to date. She will now play another unseeded player, Viktoriya Tomova, for a chance to play in her second WTA final.

Peyton Stearns: The story so far

Although her career is not even two years old, Peyton Stearns is already showing how she can be the future of American tennis. The United States has produced iconic tennis players over the past couple of decades, with Serena Williams leading the charge. Ironically, she retired the same year in which Stearns turned pro.

To fill the boots of the 23-time singles Grand Slam champion will be a huge ask, but judging by Stearns’ numbers so far, one might have a serious player coming through from the US. The World No. 63 has already made waves at the US Open, beating Viktoriya Tomova, Clara Tauson, and Katie Boulter to reach the fourth round. Consequently, she reached the top 50 for the first time in her career in September 2023.

Moreover, she reached her first WTA Final in Copa Colsanitas last season, defeating Rosa Vicens Mas, Elina Avanesyan, Tamara Zidansek, and Kamilla Rakhimova in the process. In 2024, Stearns was on the cusp of a huge upset against World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in Indian Wells as she held four match points. However, the American lost in the third-set tiebreaker.

She is now one win away from playing in her second WTA Final, and if she plays with full freedom against Viktoriya Tomova, the stars could be aligned for her in Morocco.