AUSTIN (KXAN) – When Peyton Stearns spoke with the media after losing in the first round at the 2024 ATX Open, there was clear disappointment in the state of her game. Heading into the 2025 tournament, there was hope the former Longhorn would have a much better showing.
Stearns entered this year’s ATX Open at Westwood Country Club as the No. 3 seed. Again, she was upset in the first round to have her run back in Austin cut short.
Varvara Gracheva, the No. 72 player in the world, defeated Stearns in straight sets Tuesday afternoon.
The loss to Gracheva is a bit more confounding considering Stearn’s success at the previous WTA tournament in Dubai. She had taken down some major names in the sport like Ons Jabeur and Qinwen Zheng.
Top-seeded Jess Pegula advanced to the second round in straight sets Tuesday in Austin.
