In a dream week in Madrid, Jessica Pegula reached the final of the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday by overcoming Swiss player Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 22 minutes of tennis. In the match that closed the day’s play in the Manolo Santana Stadium, the North American came out on top of an encounter that was hugely significant for both competitors.

Pegula has now completed a monumental road to the grand finale in the Caja Mágica. Having ceded just one set in the entire tournament, the US player has taken down some big names, such as Italian player Camila Giorgi, the Estonian Kaia Kanepi, Canadian player Bianca Andreescu and home favourite Sara Sorribes Tormo, to come through a challenging draw.

The 12th seed will play in her first final on clay against the Tunisian Ons Jabeur in a match between two players without a WTA 1000 trophy in their cabinet. Their head-to-head could not be closer (2-2), although the American has won their two most recent meetings.

By reaching the final of the Mutua Madrid Open, Pegula has once again demonstrated that she is one of the best players on the women’s tour. The New Yorker is now just one win away from the Top 10 and a place among the WTA elite.

Trained by David Witt, previously Venus Williams’ coach, Pegula is bidding to become one of the biggest names in American tennis. In fact, if she manages to claim the throne in the Caja Mágica, she will overtake Danielle Collins as the US No. 1.

Pegula is the first American woman to reach the final of the Mutua Madrid Open since Serena Williams did so in 2013.