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Jessica Pegula set to benefit from Rybakina defeat to Sabalenka in Wuhan Open

Originally posted on HITC | By Liam McMillen | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 3:07 PM ET

Elena Rybakina’s latest loss at the Wuhan Open may have forced Jessica Pegula to make some major changes to her schedule.

Aryna Sabalenka remained in control of the tournament, taking care of Rybakina in straight sets as she continued her strong play.

That result puts Rybakina’s spot at the WTA Finals in jeopardy, as she battles Jasmine Paolini for one of the final top-eight places.

Pegula, meanwhile, picked up another win in Wuhan and could see a big boost from Rybakina’s early exit.

Pegula’s WTA Finals qualification could lead to missed tournaments

With Rybakina’s defeat, Pegula has now officially booked her spot in the Saudi Arabia tournament. That could mean she chooses to skip the events between Wuhan and the WTA Finals.

The American reached the semi-finals in Wuhan after edging past Kateřina Siniaková in a tight three-set match.

Photo by Antonio Borga/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Pegula, who already has multiple WTA Finals appearances to her name, had already hinted that she might take a break from competition after Wuhan.

Speaking on The Player’s Box, Pegula mentioned that she would likely skip Ningbo and Tokyo if her performance in Wuhan was enough to secure qualification.

“I mean, my goal is to do well here this week, so I hopefully don’t have to play the next couple of weeks, but we’ll see how it goes,” Pegula said of her Wuhan campaign.

Now with another semi-final appearance and a confirmed spot at the WTA Finals, Pegula seems unlikely to play again before heading to Riyadh.

Jessica Pegula’s string of three-set wins continues

Pegula has now lost a set in each of her last eight matches, but she’s come out on top in seven of them across the China Open and Wuhan Open.

When asked how she keeps coming through these close contests, Pegula said: “I guess I’m in really good shape.

“I definitely don’t think I need to play any more matches or work on any physical stuff because I’ve been able to battle through these matches and play really well. But yeah, I don’t know.

“I’m happy I’ve been able to figure things out. Obviously, I wish maybe it was more straightforward for my mental and physical sake, but if I win every match for the rest of my life in three sets, I think I’d be pretty happy.”

Pegula faces Sabalenka next on Centre Court at the Wuhan Open in the opening match on 11 October.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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