Jessica Pegula reveals what she found ‘crazy’ about winning the Charleston title

Jessica Pegula has claimed the Charleston title, finishing off her week with a straight-sets victory over Yuliia Starodubtseva in the final.

Pegula, 32, had gone the distance in each of her matches leading up to the final, coming through four consecutive three-setters before closing out the week with a more straightforward result.

Speaking to Tennis Channel after lifting the trophy, Pegula opened up about what it took physically and mentally to get through a challenging week.

She started by reflecting on what it meant to win again in Charleston and successfully defend her title.

Jessica Pegula gives her thoughts after clinching the Charleston title

Asked how she was feeling after defending her title, Pegula said: “Yeah, I don’t know. It’s crazy.

“It was definitely a tough path last year and this year, and I think sometimes when you win a tournament, you kind of like romanticise, like, oh, it was so easy, and it’s usually not. Like, there are usually some days where it’s really hard.”

“And so I think I shifted my mindset a little bit coming back defending. I was like, listen, last year was a really tough year. It wasn’t like everything went perfect. So I think that actually kind of helped me get through a lot of really tough matches this week.”

She smiled as she was asked about the length of her matches at this event over the last few days but saw the positives in such a physically demanding week for tennis.

Pegula continued: “Like, I really do think I’d rather have it this way going into clay season for sure because you’re gonna have matches like this. Like, it’s impossible not to – especially on clay.

“So I think it’s honestly great for my clay court season hopefully as long as I can kind of stay healthy and keep adjusting and keeping that mindset that on clay can be a little tricky and it gets tough.”

The American has now shown why there is growing belief that she can win a Grand Slam title in 2026.

Jessica Pegula trails only Aryna Sabalenka for most titles in 2026

Pegula has now picked up three titles this year, and only Aryna Sabalenka, who currently sits atop the rankings, has more so far in 2026.

Sabalenka started the year by winning in Brisbane before finishing runner-up at the Australian Open. She then completed the Sunshine Double, adding a third title in Miami.

Pegula made semi-final appearances in both Brisbane and Melbourne and captured her first title of the year in Dubai. She then reached two more quarter-finals at Indian Wells and Miami before adding another trophy in Charleston.

The clay-court season will be an interesting measure to see if Pegula can close the gap on Sabalenka, especially with both players building momentum early on.

Read more: