Two-time defending champ Jessica Pegula bounced from NBO Open, upset by Sevastova

By Canadian Press on August 1, 2025.

MONTREAL — There will be a new women’s singles champion at the National Bank Open.

Two-time reigning champion Jessica Pegula of the United States is out in the third round after falling to Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in a major upset Friday afternoon at the WTA 1000 tournament.

The 35-year-old Sevastova reached a career-high ranking of No. 11 in 2018, but now sits at 386th.

She rallied from a set down and broke the third-seeded — and world No. 4 — Pegula six times on 10 chances.

The loss continues a poor run of form for Pegula, who won her opener in Montreal over Maria Sakkari of Greece, but exited Wimbledon and the D.C. Open after one match in July.

Sevastova will take on Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who moved on to the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-4 win over 22nd-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia.

Osaka, a former world No. 1, hit five aces and converted six of nine breakpoint opportunities, taking the match in 72 minutes on IGA Stadium’s centre court.

In other daytime results, 16th-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark rolled to a 6-3, 6-0 third-round victory against Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva.

Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek, the tournament’s second seed, headlined the night session. She was scheduled to face Eva Lys of Germany in third-round action.

Victoria Mboko was the only Canadian — singles or doubles — remaining in Montreal. The 18-year-old rising star from Toronto is set for a marquee fourth-round matchup Saturday against top seed Coco Gauff of the United States.

Mboko rallied from down a set to defeat Czechia’s Marie Bouzkova 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 on Thursday.

This year’s National Bank Open debuted a revamped 12-day, 96-player format, with the top 32 seeds receiving byes to the second round. The tournament’s final is scheduled for Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press