Jessica Pegula reached the quarter-finals of the US Open with a straight-sets victory over Sorana Cirstea on Sunday.

Pegula, who will become world number one if she wins her maiden grand slam title and Elena Rybakina loses before the semi-finals, defeated Cirstea 6-3 6-4 in an hour and 26 minutes at Flushing Meadows.

It was a ruthless start from the home favourite as she dropped no points while breaking Cirstea twice on her way to a 3-0 lead in the first set.

Both players exchanged two more breaks before Pegula eventually clinched the first with her fifth set point, and it was a similar story in the second.

Pegula converted a break point in the fourth game to go 3-1 up, and four consecutive breaks, which were split evenly, saw the third seed seal victory with her third match point.

49 - Jessica Pegula has claimed both the most WTA-level match wins of any player overall (49) and of any player on hard court (33) so far this season. Primed.#USOpen | @usopen @WTA pic.twitter.com/ehj585hwF4

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) September 7, 2026

Pegula will face compatriot Emma Navarro in the quarter-finals after the latter defeated Anna Kalinskaya 6-4 6-2.

2026 Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova also booked her place in the last eight, overcoming Marta Kostyuk 7-5 5-7 6-4.

Pegula reaching new levels after 30

Since the introduction of 128-player draws at all four events in 1988, only three players have reached more grand slam quarter-finals than Pegula (five) after turning 30 – Serena Williams (22), Martina Navratilova (12) and Venus Williams (eight).

Pegula has also claimed both the most WTA-level match wins of any player overall (49) and of any player on hard court (33) so far this season, as she edges closer to winning her first major.

Pegula's matchup with Navarro in the next round will be the first all-American women’s singles quarterfinal at the US Open since Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams in 2015.

Now in her fourth career grand slam quarter-final, Navarro has claimed four consecutive WTA-level match wins on hard court for the first time since her tournament victory in Merida last season.

Noskova, meanwhile, is the youngest Czech player to reach the women's singles quarter-finals at the US Open since Daja Bedanova in 2001.