Jessica Pegula is back in the semifinals of the 2026 US Open after coming back to defeat Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Next up, she takes on two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka on September 10.
During the semifinals last year, Sabalenka ended Pegula’s run with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory. She also bested Pegula during the 2024 final in New York. The 32-year-old has 4-9 record against Sabalenka, but she defeated the Belarusian star during their most recent match at the Berlin Open in June.
“To me, I think it’s fun to look at the rivalry we’ve had,” Pegula said. “She’s gotten me here the last couple of years. I have been able to beat her a few times, maybe on a smaller stage, so I think that’s going to be kind of a hurdle for me to get over.”
Supporting Pegula against Sabalenka, her husband, Taylor Gahagen. Pegula and Gahagen were first romantically linked in 2015 and married at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, in October 2021.
While Gahagen prefers to keep a low profile at tournaments, the TV cameras found him at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Jessica Pegula’s Husband, Taylor Gahagen, Wore a Farmer’s Dog Hat During the US Open
Gahagen always rocks a hat while attending Pegula’s matches, but the New York native left the Yankees cap at home this year. Instead, Gahagen wore a hat that read, “The Farmer’s Dog,” supporting his wife’s new partnership.
Pegula became a brand ambassador for the pet food company just before the start of the US Open. It’s a special partnership as Gahagen and Pegula share three dogs together, Maddie, a mini Australian shepherd, Desiree, a German shepherd, and Mabel, the baby of three, a German short-haired pointer.
“The best part of having dogs is that they love you no matter what,” Pegula told The Farmer’s Dog. “With them I can totally turn off. They don’t judge me on my wins or losses… If they’re not with [me and my husband] for one night, we’re like, ‘This is so boring,’”
Gahagen, a managing partner at Agarwood Wealth and Dragos Capital, also started A Lending Paw with Pegula, a nonprofit that raises money to train service animals for people with disabilities.
Jessica Pegula Gave Her Husband a Shoutout at the US Open in 2024
Pegula gave Gahagen a cute shoutout after reaching the semifinals of the 2024 U.S. Open. “It’s amazing. I have my brother there, my sister there. My dad, my brother-in-law, lots of friends, lots of family all scattered around. Obviously, my husband. He’s not even standing up. He doesn’t want to be seen.”
Gahagen also got a shout-out on her podcast, “The Player’s Box,” last year when discussing possible advice she gets from her better half.
“Taylor just tries to tell me to slice more,” Pegula said. That’s always his go-to. Clearly, my husband is not a tennis player. Or has no formal background or whatever. But that’s usually just his advice to me. And I’m just like, ‘Okay.'”
Jessica Pegula’s Husband Proves He’s Her No. 1 Fan at US Open