Tennis
2026-08-30 - Jessica Pegula vs Elena Gabriela Ruse
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : US Open Tennis First Round
Sunday 30th August 2026 - Scheduled 12pm EST
5pm (British Time)
Preview
After reaching the Cincinnati Final, Jessica Pegula may simply be glad that a potential injury earlier in the tournament has not been one that could have dented her hopes of winning the US Open before this final Grand Slam of the season got underway.
She has been very close in the last couple of years.
Jessica Pegula reached the Final in New York City two years ago and the Semi Final last year, but the top of the leading contenders all have vulnerabilities in 2026. Her main rival has been Aryna Sabalenka, but Jessica Pegula will know the current World Number 1 is struggling for form and that leaves a door open.
It is clear where Jessica Pegula stands in American tennis that she has been given one of the prime spots on Sunday, but that also means pressure to deliver. Jessica Pegula has not been beaten in the First Round here since 2019, and it would be a real surprise if Elena Gabriela Ruse is able to reset that mark this year.
The last time we saw Elena Gabriela Ruse, she was well on her way to being beaten by Alexandra Eala in Cincinnati, but withdrew with an injury in the middle of the second set.
She was not likely to turn that match around, but it was also an injury that was not expected to keep her out of this Grand Slam.
Elena Gabriela Ruse has produced some steady hard court numbers this season, but there are levels to the sport and it has been a big struggle when facing top 50 Ranked opponents. In those matches, Ruse has a 2-7 record and she has really had issues in protecting the second serve, while simply not offering enough threat on the return to put any consistent pressure on the better players faced.
Changing those narratives in the First Round looks beyond the World Number 63 and Jessica Pegula can get her latest campaign to win a Grand Slam underway with a solid opening victory before earning a couple of days to rest and recover.
Prediction
Lay the games with the American and one of the leading contenders to win the US Open.
The Pick :
Jessica Pegula 2-0 Elena Gabriela Ruse
