MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 28, 2025

Jessica Pegula

Quick Quotes

J. PEGULA/A. Eala

7-6, 5-7, 6-3

Q. (Question about her opponent.)

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, definitely. She competes really well, I think playing with nothing to lose and just going for her shots. I kind of let up at 3-1 and I felt like I totally let her back in the match, but she started ripping the balls, going for her shots.

Sometimes you have to weather the storm with people like that. I wish I would have gotten it done in two, but happy with the way I fought in the third.

Q. Yesterday you said that you are going to use your against players with nothing to lose. What kind of experiences did you use today?

JESSICA PEGULA: I have no idea (smiling). I don't know. I just was there, running side to side. I don't know. I think I stayed calm in the big moments. Maybe had a few games that was close on my serve and played some good games, played some smart serving games, which I think in the end was probably what won me the match.

Yeah, I don't really know what experience did for me today.

Q. What's she have that she really achieved this week? The serve is 70 miles an hour, 64?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, the serve is so tough. On these courts it stays low and it's really slow, but it stays low and it's hard to kind of commit to what you want to do. I was struggling whether I wanted to step in, but then I didn't want to give her free points.

I think next time I would definitely start off way more aggressive, now that I kind of know and have a sense of how she plays. But, I mean, she's just a really good player.

She reminds me of a Leylah Fernandez. Takes the ball super early, uses the angles really well, uses the line forehand really well, and competes and sees the court.

She definitely takes the ball early, anticipates well, looks to move in. Yeah, all those things are going to take her far.

Q. Did you anticipate it was going to be -- I know you always expect a hard match. A 19-year-old, first semifinal. You have been there. You know what it's like. Were you thinking, as you come in, this is going to be a handful?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I thought it would be. I definitely thought there would be one or a tough set, for sure. I thought like after winning that tough set, getting up 3-1, I feel like if I would have held for 4-1, maybe I could have won that set 6-2 or 6-3, but I knew when you're playing someone like that, you have no idea how they're going to respond. They could go for their shots and miss or make every ball.

I think she just started going for her shots and playing super-aggressive and it was working. I wasn't that surprised. You know, you don't beat the players that she's beat this week and not go in thinking she can play ball.

Q. A good opportunity, but you have to be careful what you wish for?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, it's true. It is a good opportunity. I don't know who you'd rather play. To play Iga, Iga has so much more experience in those moments, so I don't know if that affects that, or you play with someone with nothing to lose.

It's tough, because it can go both ways. Happy I was able to take advantage, I guess, of that opportunity. Yeah, she was playing some good tennis.

Q. Third time is the charm, you said. Now you've got Aryna again, two of the best hard court players probably on the planet right now. Talk about that.

JESSICA PEGULA: I mean, I feel like I'm one of them, and I think she's just a little bit better than me, results-wise, winning Australia, winning US Open, beating me Cincy, US Open.

It's going to be tough. Hopefully I can get the better of her here. That would be awesome. But, you know, I'm also really proud that, you know, I can put myself up there with one of the best hard court players in the world. Making another final of a 1000 is huge.

Just super excited to where I put myself at the beginning of the year, and I have always felt like I could win this tournament. I have always had really good results, always gone deep. You know, sometimes at tournaments you have that feeling, and this has always been one of them. I'm happy I'm able to give myself a chance on Saturday.

Q. Are you amazed how hard it is to win tennis matches and get deep in tennis tournaments?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I mean, it's so tough. I'm exhausted and I didn't win the tournament yet. It will come around, and next week I will be in Charleston trying to do the same thing and it's forgotten.

Same thing. I feel like I was just here a couple of weeks ago. We're already back in Miami, and next year it will be the same thing, and then you're freaking out because you're defending points, and then you have to worry about that.

Tennis is so tough on the mental side, having to deal with that, because the wins are amazing, but there is always another week and sometimes it can get forgotten, which can be tough.

I'm trying to work on enjoying the good weeks and the good wins and trying to stay in that present moment as much as possible, because I think when I look back, those are the good moments I'm going to remember.

Q. You have beaten Aryna a couple of times. What did you learn from Cincinnati/US Open that you feel this time of around, third-time experience?

JESSICA PEGULA: I do feel like I'm serving a little bit better. Hopefully I can serve well Saturday. I think that's something you have to do against her. She returns really well.

Yeah, I have been returning well, so I always feel like even though she's one of the best servers in the world, I can give myself a chance maybe to break her. But she's tough. She's playing with a lot of confidence. She likes, I think, a little bit quicker hard court, as well, playing one-two punch, playing an aggressive game.

I had chances at the US Open, up 5-3 in that second set. Who knows what would have happened there. I definitely know I'll get some chances if I play some good tennis hopefully, and I will try to do my best of trying to take advantage of that, and, you know, learning from the last couple of matches.

Q. Hometown support?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yes, exactly. Hopefully I got the crowd on my side. I hope I will. So yeah.