13 august 2024 : Jessica Pegula triumphed over Amanda Anisimova with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 in an all-American final on Monday, securing the WTA Toronto Masters title and marking her as the first back-to-back champion of the event since 2000.
Ranked sixth, Pegula achieved her sixth career WTA title and her second of the year, following her victory in Berlin in June. She is the first player to win consecutively in Canada since Martina Hingis did so in 1999-2000.
“Crazy. I can’t believe it. I wanted it so bad,” Pegula expressed emotionally. “Getting emotional thinking about it. I’m so happy to take the title here. It’s awesome. I’m just flooded with emotions.”
Reflecting on her journey, Pegula noted the ups and downs of the year, stating, “These are happy tears. I’m so happy.”
She expressed her joy in winning the Canadian title in both alternating host cities, Montreal and Toronto, the latter being close to her hometown of Buffalo, New York. Her grandparents, one from each city, were present in the audience.
“One in each city so that’s one for each of you,” Pegula remarked.
With this victory, Pegula improved her head-to-head record against Anisimova to 3-0, having previously defeated her in April at Charleston.
Pegula initiated the match with a break against Anisimova and secured the first set after 27 minutes, capitalizing on a double fault from her opponent.
In the second set, Anisimova responded with a forehand winner to break Pegula for a 2-1 lead, and Pegula’s own double fault allowed Anisimova to extend her advantage to 5-2, setting the stage for a decisive third set.
After losing her first set of the tournament, Pegula broke Anisimova for a 2-0 lead in the final set, extending her lead to 4-0 after another break due to Anisimova’s error.
Anisimova, who struggled in the final set, ultimately sent a forehand long, concluding the match on Pegula’s serve after 87 minutes.
“I know everyone’s talking about my record and all this stuff, but it’s nice to be able to get through the week and to back it up,” Pegula stated. “Just super excited, I mean, an honor, really.”
Anisimova, ranked 132nd in the world, became the lowest-ranked finalist at 40
Anisimova achieved a remarkable feat this week by defeating four top-20 opponents, which led her to her fourth career WTA final. However, she was unable to secure a third title, following her victories in Bogota in 2019 and Melbourne in 2022.
After taking a nine-month hiatus for mental health reasons last year, Anisimova found herself ranked 373rd in the world at the beginning of this year. Nevertheless, her performance as a runner-up has propelled her back into the top 50.
“I dedicated myself to the work, maintained focus, and aimed to return to the sport with a more relaxed mindset,” Anisimova stated on Monday.
“I am striving to appreciate each day as it comes and to avoid taking everything too seriously, as I believe that can diminish the joy in many aspects of life. I feel that this approach to my daily routine has been significantly beneficial for me.”
