Jessica Pegula Embraces the Challenge Ahead in New York

Jessica Pegula has had quite the season. Two titles, three finals, and two deep Grand Slam runs, including a semifinal appearance at the Australian Open, have seen the 32-year-old reclaim the World No. 3 spot, a ranking she first achieved in 2022.

Recent Shifts and Losses

While clay season ended with a disappointing first round loss at Roland Garros, grass season saw the American fight her way back to the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time since 2023, where she lost to fellow American Coco Gauff in three sets.

Pegula fell to the 22-year-old once again nearly a month later, this time in straight sets in the Cincinnati Open final. Despite arriving to New York less than 24 hours after the loss, Pegula felt rejuvenated.

"It's a different feeling coming to New York," Pegula told Serve in a third-floor conference room at Thompson Central Park a few days before her first round match. She's just come from a live taping of her podcast, The Player's Box, with Jennifer Brady, Madison Keys, and Desirae Krawczyk, and despite the long day, she's at ease.

"It gives you an energy boost for the end of the year because there's so much energy in the city," she continued. "There's so [many] fun things to do, and the US Open is continuing to grow so much. It's a long year, but at the same time, I feel like you do get somewhat of an energy boost this week, with all the events going on. It makes you really excited to just want to finish strong. "

Pegula's Late Season Consistency

A finalist in 2024, Pegula is no stranger to that special New York energy. Widely considered to be one of the most consistent players on the WTA Tour, she's prone to finishing strong in the latter half of the season, as evidenced by the several finals she's made after the US Open in recent years.

Pegula attributes a majority of that success to the consistent routine she keeps on match days. An ideal match day, she says, typically includes a practice the day before to go over strategy followed by a chill night in packing her bags and cleaning her room to calm her mind. She wouldn't describe herself as "crazy superstitious," but once she falls into a routine after winning a few matches, she finds herself strictly following it, especially after overcoming the initial hurdle of the first round. The final Grand Slam of the year is no different.

"First rounds are always a little bit more nerve-racking because everyone's just trying to get through that first round, to get their feet under them," Pegula said. "I'm sure I'll definitely be a little bit nervous, and I'll be just go through my warmup, work out, go through everything with my coaches and then try to go out there and have fun. It's always a little bit nerve-wracking for sure."

The Importance of Recovery

Recovery is just as important, especially as the physicality of the season starts to catch up to her in the final few weeks on tour. Years on tour have led her to favor taking hot Epsom salt baths as her recovery method of choice, a large part of why she picks her hotel stays at the Hyatt based off a room's bathtub.

"Some people aren't bath people, but I swear it will cure anything," Pegula said. "Whether you're not feeling well, whether you're feeling run down, whether you're sore, whether you're tired, taking one before bed, I feel like does wonders. That's something that I think will cure jet lag and resets your mind, resets the nervous system."

Current Women's Field

Pegula is one of 23 American women vying for the chance to claim this year's US Open title, a field that ranges from veteran Venus Williams to rising young talent Iva Jovic. As the highest-ranked American woman on tour, she has emerged as one of the leading faces of U.S. women's tennis, though she doesn’t see necessarily see herself as carrying that responsibility alone.

"It's been a privilege that I've been able to be right up there with the top few Americans that we've had over the years," Pegula said. "We all get along really well, which I think at the end of the day takes some pressure off of us. Knowing that there's other Americans doing well, it's not like we're the only ones that have to have a torch leading American tennis. I think it makes it fun."

While the American men have failed to rise to the occasion in New York, the American women have had no such difficulties, winning five of the past 15 singles titles in Flushing Meadows. Given the all-American Cincinnati final fans witnessed last week, its entirely possible that they could be treated to a rematch between 4th seeded Gauff and third seeded Pegula. Pegula is aware of the pressure that expectation brings; however, her focus lies in her improvement rather than her results.

"That's the one thing I love about tennis is that every single day, and every week or every tournament, it's always a new challenge, whether you win or lose," she said. "It never stops, and I love just being able to try and problem solve and keep pushing myself all the time. For me, success is measuring myself against myself and just what can I get better at."

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