US OPEN

August 29, 2024

Jessica Pegula

Press Conference

J. PEGULA/S. Kenin

7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: On to round three. Assess your play from round one to round two, what you saw from your play first round and then second round.

JESSICA PEGULA: Oh, because I didn't do press first round? We're sneaking in both matches here (laughing)? Sneaky.

Yeah, the first match obviously, like, totally different match. I mean, Shelby going into retirement as well and then playing late, playing on Ashe. It's always just kind of weird. Especially for a first match.

So I felt like today I had a little bit more rhythm. I felt a little bit more calm out there. It was tough to handle kind of the first-round situation, but coming into today, I thought we played some high-level tennis. I thought Sonya played really well. Luckily I was able to kind of get the break back both sets and then actually serve pretty well in some key moments too.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. She's won a Grand Slam, but then hit some troubled waters for quite a bit now. You've been incredibly steady and consistent. Yet, you haven't won that major yet. Who's in a more challenging position?

JESSICA PEGULA: (Laughing.) I don't know how to answer that. I think we all have our own challenges and our own issues that we have to deal with, so it's tough to talk about who has a tougher situation to deal with, so I can't really say on that.

I mean, she's a Grand Slam champion. She's a good player. She knows she can play at a high level, and I feel like she's been playing a little bit more solid this year. Obviously can still play some great tennis and is still, I feel like, capable of upsetting a lot of top players as well. So I knew today was going to be really tough.

But for me I guess I've just used a lot of the consistency and the confidence that maybe she hasn't had as much lately to the best of my ability I guess today. Yeah, I don't know how to answer that question.

Q. Speaking more broadly about that dynamic, typically to be an American at the US Open is to receive all the support during the match. When there was another American on court, how does that change the dynamic?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I think it's -- I don't know. It just feels a little bit more like maybe the crowd isn't fully cheering for you, you know, as if you were playing someone else. I think there's a little bit of that battle where they know both players, and they want Americans to do well.

Maybe the atmosphere is slightly a little bit different, but I felt a lot of support today still. It was still really fun, and I think the crowd gets into it when there's multiple Americans because they can just cheer for some really good tennis, as they know that one of us is going to get through to the next round.

Q. You were down in the first set 3-4, 15-40, slammed your racquet down. Other than being pissed off at the time, what were you feeling then, and what did you do to just reel off four points in a row right after that?

JESSICA PEGULA: You're right, I was very pissed off at the time, not happy (laughing). I have tried to do better at just -- I know I don't show a lot of emotion, but I still get upset. I think what I try to think of is, okay, I'm really mad, I'm upset, I'm annoyed, and just get it out, but then just try to reset really quickly.

I think sometimes when you try to hold it together, you can kind of have a lot of built-up tension. Even though maybe my outbursts aren't as extreme, at least for me they feel more extreme. I like to just kind of get it out of my system and then it's like, okay, right back. It's on to the next point.

I think as long as I can do that, sometimes it's good to show a little bit of emotion, and I knew that was a big moment. I knew that if I could get out of that game, obviously it shifted the entire first set. I'm glad I was able to kind of just move on and play the next point as it was and get out of that game.

It's moments like that that can really change the set and change a match.

Q. We've been asking players about Caroline García, what she posted on social on the cyberbullying and everything like that. I'm wondering what she mentioned kind of squaring the fact that the tours have partnerships with a lot of online sports betting and then there's also kind of ITF and a lot of tournaments using the AI, like anti-cyberbullying things. Do you have to square those in those being two things that don't work together, or does it actually make sense that if you have one, you should have the other? How do you kind of think about that?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I heard that some of the AI stuff works with the betting companies to try to combat the betters that get really upset and send us messages.

I mean, I don't know. I know that's such a big industry, and I know it's something that is there. I think it's great that they're trying to use technology to combat a lot of that, but it's never going to get rid of all of it.

Yeah, I thought what she said was great. It's something that I don't think people really realize because we're so used to it. I mean, I just don't even let anyone send me messages. I'll turn my comments off sometimes during tournament weeks because it doesn't matter if I win or lose, someone is going to say something.

Honestly, I don't really care that much because I know they're all crazy, but I feel bad when my grandparents, like, or my -- I don't know -- are on my Instagram, and I see some horrible comment. Like, there was this girl that does my social media for my Ready 24, and she was, like, You know, you're getting a lot of really bad messages. I laughed because I'm, like, it's so normal for me. I'm like, Oh, no, don't worry, it's nothing. She was gravely concerned that I was getting death threats on my Ready 24 Instagram page.

It's not normal, but it's totally normal for us. It's so bad that it's kind of come to that point. But I mean, I think hopefully with technology they can keep using that to make it better because no one wants to see that online. Nobody does. We all know it's from people that are betting, and it doesn't matter win or lose, they're going to say something.

Yeah, I think it's great that they're working with those companies because it's good for the sport to get people involved, but at the same time it's not great for players when we have to deal with that.

Q. This is about the WTA Finals. I'm wondering, is there a sense among the players that so much is riding on the success of this particular WTA Finals given the past few years where players kind of lost trust in the process? Can you try and share a little bit how much is riding on the success of this WTA Finals, and what are you sensing?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I mean, of course, I'm sure the tour would love to snap back from the last couple of years of rough finals, but at the same time there were also COVID circumstances and global things that were impacting those decisions.

I think it was kind of they knew it wasn't going to be great. It wasn't great, and now they have kind of a new place that we're going to go to for hopefully the next few years at least.

I think they know -- I'm assuming it probably can't be worse, so I think it's definitely going to be better. But, also, they know they have somewhere to build for a couple of years too because just circumstance-wise having to relocate every year, you're never going to be able to grow it and make it great.

I think they feel probably a lot more confident that they actually had time, they could plan it out. They had several years. I think for sure it will be better than it was the last few years, definitely. It really can't be worse (laughing).

Q. How much, in general, do you pay attention to or even watch men's matches when you're at a Grand Slam tournament? More specifically, I'm just curious your thoughts on Ben against Frances tomorrow, and do you think you might watch any of that?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I definitely watch a lot of the men's matches. I try to watch a lot of the matches. It's nice going back to the hotel. It's all on TV. It's exciting. It's on ESPN. I can pull it up and see it on my phone.

Yeah, I definitely watch a lot of the men's matches. I was watching Taylor and Berrettini last night. Frances and Ben is going to be, obviously, a big match. I was hoping that they all won and made it to the third round because I saw they were going to play each other fairly early in a slam, so that will be really exciting.

Yeah, I like watching men's tennis. I still think women's is more entertaining because they're just so fast, and their serves are so good that sometimes it can get repetitive, but I love seeing the match-ups and how they play each other. Even just trying to pick up on things that they like to do, but it's definitely a different game.

I like watching and learning. Obviously I watched Novak a little bit last night too.

Q. You spoke a moment ago about the online abuse and gambling. What sort of commentary do you think it is on the state of affairs that you kind of matter of factually refer to death threats?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, right? It's crazy how it's become so normal and just to that sense, yeah, it's not good. We know it all happens, but just, yeah, for Caroline to kind of call it out, especially after a loss, it's unfortunate. I don't know.

It shouldn't happen, I guess. I don't know what else to say. It sucks.

Q. How did you arrive at your approach to this? Was there any one particular message or any discussion that led you to your approach to kind of disregard these things?

JESSICA PEGULA: There are just so many of them. So I literally just -- I don't think anyone can send me -- I will block my comments so people that only I follow can comment back like during tournament weeks. Then I don't allow any direct messages from anybody just to kind of limit all of that.

If you're collaborating with someone, they can still comment on stuff you've been tagged in, so I still see comments. They suck. I mean, you try and block and report the ones that are really bad, but I don't really know whatever gets done about those. People just make new accounts.

Some of them are brand-new accounts. I think they literally just make an account to say just something because they'll have no followers, no pic, like nothing. Yeah, it's bizarre. It's definitely worse on Instagram than I would say, like, Twitter, X, or whatever it's called now. Yeah, I don't know.

It's unfortunate that, yeah, you have to see threats against you over stupid betting.

Q. It's been a few months now since you started working with Mark and Mark. Now that your game has settled into, I assume, a place that you're pretty happy with, I wonder if you could kind of talk about how that collaboration has kind of played out over the last few months. What's the dynamic there? How have you guys found a working way for the three of you to kind of operate?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah. Well, Mark Merklein has been traveling a little bit more, and then Mark Knowles has been there. He was there for Wimbledon and Cincinnati, and he's here. Doesn't travel quite as much. But yeah, I feel like we've found a good groove where I know how to communicate with them, they know how to communicate with me.

Everyone kind of knows what they're there for, I guess. So it's been nice to kind of fall into that and get into a nice rhythm. Obviously it helps that I've been able to win some matches and put together some good weeks. So we've kind of just stuck with what's been working.

It's nice that we kind of found that groove a little bit because I love hearing different voices and having different personalities to work with. I think it makes it more exciting and a little less mundane.

At the same time it's more than one person. I think you do have to figure out a way to balance it. It's been nice, I feel like since the grass really we've kind of found a nice groove on what each person kind of likes to talk about, what they like. Yeah, I think it's worked really, really well. So hopefully we can keep just that going.

I would say Knowlesy does a little more strategy and stuff like that, and I'm a little more hands-on with Merklein just because I've been with him a little bit more.

Q. Ashlyn Krueger knocked out Mirra Andreeva this morning, and she's mentioned you're a bit of a mentor to her. What do you think of her rise in New York?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, so nice to see her, one, get through that first round. I was watching. I know it was probably pretty nerve-racking for her. I guess her first main draw win, which I didn't realize.

Then seeing her play well today, I knew she had a good chance. She has a big game. So I feel like when she's clicking, she can be a really big threat. She's tall, good serve, power game. Kind of reminds me of a raw, young Rybakina a little bit.

She's a big hitter. So I think it's nice to see her find some confidence and kind of power through that match today as well. I was watching a little bit of the end before I went out.

Yeah, she's a really sweet girl, and I used to work with her coach, Michael. We've practiced quite a bit, and I've played her actually a lot this year.

It's been nice. I think it's nice to be a little bit of a mentor and just let her know I'm here to talk if she ever wants to talk. I remember when I was younger, if a top player ever said something to me, it was I felt like gave you a lot of confidence and gave you kind of a boost.

I try to do my best, you know, to play that part now that I've gotten older.

Q. I'm writing a piece about practice. In your experience of playing practice matches and calling your own lines against other players, have you ever experienced cheating? Like have you ever been --

JESSICA PEGULA: Oh, yeah, for sure. Yeah. I won't name names, but definitely. There's some close calls.

It's actually hard when girls -- well, sometimes it's even worse when it's, like, girls don't want to call anything because then it's just awkward. You're, like, was it in, was it out? They're kind of like, I don't know. You're like, Do I take the point? Do you want me to take the point? Then it gets very indecisive.

Then I feel like sometimes the coaches are literally making the calls because some of the girls just won't call anything or don't really know what to call. You look at the coach, and they're just, like, out or in or whatever it is. That can also be even worse. I've definitely gotten hooked in practice for sure.

Q. On another note, you went out practicing after this match?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I did. I went and hit some returns.

Q. Why did you feel the need to do that, and how often do you do that?

JESSICA PEGULA: I don't do it that often. Sometimes, but yeah, I just felt like I wasn't returning that great. So I just went out and hit a couple of more returns. I have a day off tomorrow, so we had some time and a court was open.

I don't always do it. Usually it's maybe serves or something, but usually it has to be something very specific for me to just go out there. It's never really just to hit-hit. It's usually a specific thing I'm working on.

Q. We saw the other night that you can be quite emotional. Do you ever envy people who are able to just blow a gasket on the court and go about their business and just let it all hang out kind of?

JESSICA PEGULA: I can't believe I cried more than Shelby. She was like, How? What? I was, like, Yeah, I don't know, I'm so sorry. We flipped roles last night -- or the other night.

Am I envious of people being able to --

Q. Who can let it all hang out like that and express their emotions.

JESSICA PEGULA: Even if I think I am and I see like a clip, I'm, like, it doesn't even look like anything. People don't even notice it because it looks like normal.

I don't know if I'm jealous. I think a lot of people usually tell me that they're jealous with how even-keel I can be during a match. So, yeah, I think I might be more entertaining. It maybe would be more fun if I could be a Ben or even a Coco or a Tiafoe, but I just can't.

Sometimes, too, even when I do get really fired up, for me it makes me tired, and I'm, like, exhausted. I'm, like, this is exhausting because I'm having to exert so much emotion that I'm not -- that's not how I am.

I just try to stay in my little personality bubble I guess.

Q. You talked earlier about the support you feel partly as an American, but as you've been around longer now and the fans have gotten to know you more, or are maybe rooting for that deep run, do you feel it now more than you did three, four years ago?

JESSICA PEGULA: Probably. I think maybe I've been able to be more of a consistent name the last couple of years, so I definitely feel like there's more of stable support probably this past year or even last year than at the beginning when I was still doing well, but maybe not as familiar.

Yeah, I think because I've been pretty stable the last few years that I do feel like there's maybe a little bit more support this year, which is nice. I mean, it's cool to know that people actually follow my -- have followed me for years, which is really nice.

Q. Tennis recently has kind of re-entered pop culture in a different way, whether because it's in movies or all the big designers have tennis lines, there's a whole tennis girl summer. I don't know these words, but you know what I mean.

JESSICA PEGULA: I know what you mean.

Q. Thank you. I'm wondering if you have felt it on-site here as the biggest tournament in America. Have you felt that there's more people around? Is there a sense that it's different?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah. I mean, I feel like especially here. I mean, Wimbledon I feel like you kind of feel it. You always feel it at slams. Wimbledon definitely.

But I feel like here the last few years, yeah, it's really gotten more. There's more celebrities. There's more people coming. It just seems like it's gotten bigger and bigger every year.

I think maybe after COVID and once they kind of got through like maybe the year or two after, it seems like since then it's been blowing up. It's nice to see. It's nice to see the sport growing.

Hopefully it will grow more than just this slam and you start seeing it more around in other ways, but it's been, yeah, I think really fun. I like going on the social sites and seeing all the content that they post or the TikToks or the funny videos -- who was here, the celeb that loves the dodgeball -- Ben Stiller. Seeing all those videos and how he is like a crazy tennis fan, I'm like, That's so cool.

So I think it's great. I think as they keep pushing that, I mean, I think it draws more and more fans and maybe people that aren't actually tennis fans.

I'm excited to see it hopefully grow outside of just this tournament, but it definitely feels like it's become bigger the last few years.

Q. Do you ever think of why?

JESSICA PEGULA: I don't know. I don't know why we're having a moment, but I'm here for it.