American players make history at the ATX Open after matching a Madison Keys record that she achieved eight years ago

Posted by author March 2, 2025 Tennis

Spread the love

American players continue to impress on the WTA Tour following Madison Keys winning the Australian Open.

Keys beat Aryna Sabalenka to win her first Grand Slam title at Australian Open, following on from saving a match point in her semi-final victory over world number two Iga Swiatek.

The American has not competed since, but Keys is now at a career-high rank alongside two other American women in the top five.

As a result of her newfound status, Keys was unable to play the ATX Open as fellow top 10 player Jessica Pegula had already entered the tournament.

Pegula spoke about Keys’ absence at the ATX Open, but she has certainly made her being the only top 10 player count after reaching the final.

Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images

Jessica Pegula and McCartney Kessler make history at the ATX Open

The ATX Open is holding its third edition on the WTA Tour in 2025, and had never previously seen an American player in the singles final.

However, the 2025 final will contain two American players after McCartney Kessler joined Pegula following her straight sets victory over Greet Minnen.

This final is historic for many reasons, highlighted by the fact that it is the first final between two WTA American players on home soil since 2017.

Keys was involved the last time that this happened, having lost to Sloane Stephens in the final of the 2017 US Open.

2017 – @JPegula and McCartney Kessler will be the first American players to face each other in a final on American soil since Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys at the US Open 2017. Homeland.#ATXOpen | @WTA @WTA_insider

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) March 1, 2025

View Tweet

Pegula and Kessler have never played each other before, with the latter already winning a title this year at the Hobart international.

The singles final will not be Kessler’s only competition on the last day of the 2025 ATX Open, having also reached the doubles final alongside Shuai Zhang.

Emma Navarro reaches the final of the Merida Open

It has not just been in Austin, Texas, where American women have been enjoying success as Emma Navarro is also into the Merida Open final.

Navarro struggled during the Middle Eastern swing, having only won one of her three matches.

However, the world number 10 has changed her fortunes that includes Navarro beating the defending champion en route to the Merida final.

This was followed up by a straight sets victory over Elina Avanesyan in the semi-finals, with Navarro into just the second main WTA Tour final of her career.

Navarro will play qualifier Emiliano Arango for a chance to win the biggest title of her career, with her place at her previous career best of world number eight already confirmed.