Showing posts with label Jessica Pegula. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jessica Pegula. Show all posts
Monday, 24 August 2026
Saturday, 22 August 2026
Saturday, 1 August 2026
Wednesday, 8 July 2026
Monday, 22 June 2026
Sunday, 21 June 2026
Sunday, 17 May 2026
Thursday, 14 May 2026
Wednesday, 29 April 2026
Monday, 6 April 2026
Thursday, 12 March 2026
Friday, 30 January 2026
Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Monday, 13 October 2025
Sunday, 12 October 2025
COCO GAUFF GRABS WUHAN OPEN TITLE AFTER SEEING OFF 'THREE-SET QUEEN' JESSICA PEGULA
Third seed secures crown after winning all-American final having not dropped set through whole tournament
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| Coco Gauff after beating Jessica Pegula in the Wuhan Open final. Reuters |
Coco Gauff overcame “three-set queen” Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 on Sunday to clinch the third WTA 1000 title of her career in an all-American final at the Wuhan Open.
The third-seeded Gauff secured the trophy without dropping a set after a one hour 42 minute battle in the central Chinese city.
In the first final between the former doubles partners, Gauff erased multiple deficits in the second set to improve her head-to-head record against Pegula to 3-4.
The 21-year-old in the process became the first player in the Open Era to win her first nine hard-court finals.
Gauff also cemented her status as the player with the highest winning percentage at WTA Tour-level events in China in the Open Era (22-3, 88 per cent - minimum –0 matches).
“It was a great Asian swing,” said Gauff, who reached the semi-finals in Beijing last week, before winning the title in Wuhan.
“I’m going to call JC [Jean-Christophe Faurel, my coach] out. He originally didn’t want me to come because I had a tough US Open but I had to prove him wrong. I’m a very stubborn person so maybe he said that on purpose for me to have a good result here.”
The pair had contrasting routes to the final with Gauff breezing dropping a mere 16 games while Pegula battled through three-setters in all eight of her previous matches.
“You’re the three-set queen, so I was determined not to let you get there today because I felt like the odds would be in your favour in the third set,” Gauff said as she congratulated Pegula during her victory speech.
“When I came on tour, you were one of the first people to be nice to me and welcome me with open arms and that really goes a long way and still goes a long way, so I appreciate you.
“It’s great to finally play in a final against you and I hope for many more. It’s an honour to share the court with you.”
Gauff won the first six points of the match and it set the tone for what was to come, as she leapt to a 3-0 advantage.
Pegula recovered from her slow start and went on the attack in game seven, breaking with a fierce backhand winner that helped her get back on level terms at 4-4.
It looked like the sixth seed had swung the momentum her way but Gauff found a tiny opening two games later and broke to secure the opening set in 47 minutes.
Pegula had come back from 2-5 down in her deciding set against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka the day before and was more than ready for another fightback.
Gauff has been reworking her serve with biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan since the end of August.
And while her numbers have improved since she added him to her team, the shot remains susceptible to ebbs and flows during stressful situations.
The world No 3 double-faulted six times, allowing Pegula to break her twice for a 3-0 lead, then steadied the ship by getting both breaks back to draw level.
There was another exchange of breaks, Pegula inching ahead with a cunning drop shot and Gauff pegging her back thanks to winning 10 consecutive points.
Shortly after, Gauff raised her arms in celebration as a Pegula volley sailed wide on match point.
“It’s an honour to play you, as a friend and fellow American in the final, it’s our first final, so that was a lot of fun being able to play,” Pegula told Gauff during the trophy ceremony.
The 31-year-old also gave a shoutout to her fitness trainer John Opfer, who helped her withstand such a gruelling Asian swing that included a semi-final run in Beijing and a runner-up showing in Wuhan.
“I don’t think I’ve played this much hours on the court in such a short amount of time and actually felt good,” added Pegula.
Both Pegula and Gauff will now shift their focus to next month’s WTA Finals, where Americans represent half of the eight-player singles field.
- Reem Abulleil
Friday, 5 September 2025
Thursday, 4 September 2025
Wednesday, 3 September 2025
Wednesday, 25 June 2025
"IT'S SO MENTALLY DRAINING" - JESSICA PEGULA REVEALS WHY SHE REFUSES TO STAY IN SAME HOTEL AS HER FELLOW PLAYERS DURING TOURNAMENTS
Jessica Pegula recently opened up about why she refuses to stay in the same hotel as her fellow players during competitions. The American explained that staying in tournament hotels was a ‘mentally draining’ experience and highlighted how that could affect performance.
Pegula has been competing on the WTA circuit for 15 years now and has risen to the top of the rankings in recent years. The 31-year-old’s 2025 has seen her win the ATX Open and the Charleston Open, while reaching the finals of the Miami Open. Credit to her impressive performances, the tennis star is currently the World No.3.
Recently, in an interview with Tennis.com, Jessica Pegula opened up about how important a proper hotel is to her rise to the top. The American highlighted that being away from her fellow players is one of the main reasons she chooses not to stay in tournament hotels, saying,
“Being away from everyone else is a massive thing for me. I think that’s what maybe sparked this, as well. I just felt like, ‘I can’t do [player hotels] anymore!’
Explaining her decision, Pegula added that constantly being around the people you work with can be draining.ment hotels, saying,
“When you’re staying at a tournament hotel, I feel like it’s so mentally draining. It’s not like anyone is a problem. But if you were going to work with someone, you wouldn’t necessarily want to eat breakfast with them, practice with them, be in the gym, have lunch, go to the locker room and the physio room with them, and then see them in all the elevators and the hallways.”
“I don’t think people realize that shouldn’t happen, not with the people you’re working and competing with every single week. We play pretty much every week together, and so, all of that together, you’re ready to lose it,” she added.
Earlier this year, Pegula signed with World of Hyatt as their ambassador, and has since opted to stay with the luxury hotel brand while competing.
On the tennis end of things, Jessica Pegula is currently competing at the Bad Homburg Open. The American began her grass courts season earlier this month at the Berlin Open, where she failed to defend her title after a second round exit against Liudmila Samsonova.
Recovering from that loss, Pegula got her campaign in German off to a strong start as she claimed a 6-2, 6-3 win over Kateřina Siniaková in her round of 16 match.
Up next, Jessica Pegula will take on compatriot Emma Navarro in her quarterfinals clash at the Homburg Open. The duo last played each other at the 2024 Miami Open, where Pegula emerged victorious in straight sets.
- Riddhi Acharya
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