Jessica Pegula opens up on what she got wrong about her game before US Open run

Jessica Pegula surprised herself by reaching the 2024 US Open final, even though she fell short against Aryna Sabalenka in her first major final appearance.

It was an important step in Pegula’s career, but since then, she hasn’t made it back to another Grand Slam final. However, she recently took home the title at the Dubai Tennis Championships, showing that her game is still heading in the right direction.

As Pegula continues to establish herself as a serious Grand Slam contender, she’s reflected on a mistake she made back during that US Open run two years ago. It’s something she admits was a misstep in how she approached that milestone moment.

Pegula has been more open about her journey lately, including times when things haven’t gone perfectly. That honesty has become part of what fans appreciate about her as one of the most relatable players on tour.

When Pegula reached her first major semi-final at Wimbledon in 2023 and then returned to New York for another deep run soon after, there was plenty of talk about whether this was finally her time. And when she broke through to reach the US Open final that year, it felt like confirmation that all the hard work had paid off.

Jessica Pegula reflects on when she began to see herself as an elite player

Pegula has held a spot inside the top 10 since June 2022 and is currently ranked world number five. On paper, she’s firmly established among the sport’s elite.

Even with her consistent ranking, Pegula has spoken about doubts lingering before her US Open run in 2024. Over time, though, she’s learned she doesn’t need to grind through as many tournaments as before.

“I think maybe — I think, I don’t know, it’s hard to say if I could pinpoint,” Pegula said during her press conference. “I think that when I came, I had a rib fracture the year I missed the French Open and then went on to have a really good run in the summer, made finals of the US Open.

“I think that run definitely helped me a lot as far as solidifying myself as a top player, because I was someone who was so used to having to play a lot of matches, where I felt like if I wasn’t really playing, that I was really falling behind and I wasn’t quite sure not playing for two or three months if I was able to come back right at that level.

“Being able to kind of prove myself wrong a little bit in that swing…miss a big chunk of the year and come out and play just behind Aryna [Sabalenka], have the best hard court season of the year… gave me confidence.”

Pegula said that time away from competition changed how she approached preparation going forward: “Now l feel like l don’t have to train as much. l can train smarter. l’m more efficient with what l need.”

Pegula outlines reasons behind past struggles at Indian Wells

While her best Grand Slam run came at the US Open, not all American hard court events have suited Pegula. Indian Wells, in particular, has been a tough one for her over the years.

Since making her debut as an 18-year-old in 2012, Pegula has played 15 matches there and won just eight of them.

The quarterfinals remain her best showing at Indian Wells, which she reached in 2021 before being knocked out by Victoria Azarenka.

Asked about her record at Indian Wells, Pegula pointed to the changing conditions as a factor but sounded optimistic that things could be different this time around.

“It’s always been really tough for me here,” said Pegula. “I never feel like I play good tennis. I think I had one good year I made quarters, but yeah, it’s always been tough.

“I think it’s one of the tougher tournaments, honestly, to win because of how drastic the conditions can change from morning to night, windy, cold, hot, dry. It’s very wide variety and I think you have to be able to adapt really well.

“But I do think that this year I feel a little bit better with my game as far as being able to adapt and have a couple more tools in the toolbox to help me combat those types of conditions.

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