BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Jessica Pegula reached the doubles championship match of a Grand Slam tennis tournament for the second time in her career this week at the U.S. Open.

Pegula and Krajicek were trying to become the first all-American team to win the mixed doubles title at Flushing Meadows since Melanie Oudin and Jack Sock in 2011. The top-seeded tandem lost 6-4, 6-3 against Anna Danilina and Harri Heliovaara.

The Buffalo-born Pegula, ranked No. 3 in singles, hasn’t been past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam in singles and lost in the 2022 French Open women’s doubles final with American Coco Gauff. The teen was next on Arthur Ashe Stadium to face Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s final.

Pegula and Gauff will share the No. 1 spot in the new women’s doubles rankings on Monday. They reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open and finished 13-3 at Grand Slam events this year, reaching the semis of the first two major tournaments.

Advancing to the fourth round in singles, Pegula was the top-ranked American at the U.S. Open, and perhaps the busiest player with her doubles play

Danilina and Heliovaara came together just before the tournament and quickly clicked, both picking up their first Grand Slam titles.

“I didn’t know you two weeks ago. Now I know you very well,” Heliovaara, a native of Finland who ranked in the top 10 of men’s doubles earlier this year, told Danilina in the trophy ceremony after the match.

Danilina, who is from Kazakhstan and won an NCAA title at the University of Florida in 2017, was in her second Grand Slam final. She and Beatriz Haddad Maia lost in the Australian Open women’s doubles final in 2022.

With members of the Kazakhstan tennis federation in the stands watching, Danilina and Heliovaara edged ahead when they broke Krajicek’s serve for a 5-4 lead in the second set. Heliovaara served it out, leaping in celebration after the final point.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.