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<\/p>\nIs a Big 3 finally emerging on the WTA Tour? Jessica Pegula certainly hopes not.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think sometimes it can get kind of boring if you see the same players all the time,\u201d she told me straight after winning a second straight Credit One Charleston Open. \u201cThe depth right now in the Top 10 is great, and I think we have a really strong Top 5.\u201d<\/p>\n
Currently fifth on the\u00a0WTA rankings, Pegula has been the third best player of the 2026 season, sitting just behind Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka in the Race to Riyadh thanks to victories in Charleston and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. At her last nine tournaments, she\u2019s reached the semifinals or better at seven, and the quarterfinals at the other two. Yet even with the Charleston trophy still in her eye line, Pegula preferred to praise about half a dozen rivals\u2014namedropping Victoria Mboko and Elina Svitolina in addition to Rybakina, Sabalenka, Coco Gauff\u00a0and Iga Swiatek\u2014before finally giving herself a perfunctory nod.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then there\u2019s me,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve been playing good tennis.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
“This is the best tournament”: Jessica Pegula’s trophy speech | Charleston Highlights<\/h5>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nIn her pre-tournament interview, Pegula joked about being \u201cher own thing\u201d on tour, a cool contrast that\u2019s neither as powerful as Rybakina or Sabalenka nor as reliant on athleticism like Gauff or Swiatek. Her greatest strength has long been a lack of weaknesses, but at 32, Pegula is secure in her identity as a player and believes she\u2019s still improving enough to compete alongside a slew of Grand Slam champions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had to find the balance,\u201d she told me. \u201cI can be very aggressive, and at the same time, I\u2019m very good at being steady. Most players are one way or the other, but I\u2019ve never been a truly defensive or offensive player. I think I\u2019ve had to work on being more aggressive in my own way, which isn\u2019t maybe the same outright power like and Aryna or Elena have. I think mine is a more balance approach of taking the ball early, using my footwork, using my hands and my timing to do that. Then obviously, I\u2019ve used my serve to make it more of a weapon against those girls. That has really helped to set up the next couple shots so I\u2019m not on the defense as much.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been more about emphasizing things that I already do really well and make them a little bit better.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve taken a lot of things that I\u2019ve seen players like to do to me, and it makes me less predictable in my pattern…I\u2019ll think about the opposite side of the net and anticipating what players think I\u2019m going to, and then do the opposite! That sounds simple, but it helps.\u00a0Jessica Pegula<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nPegula has also learned a lack of weaknesses has its perks, inspiring a late-career openness to improvisation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve taken a lot of things that I\u2019ve seen players like to do to me, and it makes me less predictable in my pattern,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not even something I\u2019m thinking about, but something I\u2019ve been able to naturally do.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll think about the opposite side of the net and anticipating what players think I\u2019m going to, and then do the opposite! That sounds simple, but it helps.\u201d<\/p>\n
The American\u2019s 2026 entr\u00e9e to clay was a veritable baptism by fire against a cadre of\u00a0dirtballers, most of whom put Pegula on the brink of defeat. Her final match ended up being the easiest of all, a 6-2, 6-2 victory over the tournament\u2019s Cinderella story, Yuliia Starodubtseva.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actually nice that I played much better today because I think I have a bit more confidence. In the other matches, I wasn\u2019t feeling my best or playing my best tennis, so I think I\u2019m going to build off what I can do better,\u201d she told me. \u201cToday at least shows I\u2019m able to do some of the things better that I\u2019d been doing in the previous matches this week. I\u2019ll take that as positive momentum moving forward into my training.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In her pre-tournament interview, Pegula joked about being \u201cher own thing\u201d on tour, a cool contrast that\u2019s neither as powerful as Rybakina or Sabalenka nor as reliant on athleticism like Gauff or Swiatek. Her greatest strength has long been a lack of weaknesses, but at 32, Pegula is secure in her identity as a player and believes she\u2019s still improving enough to compete alongside a slew of Grand Slam champions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had to find the balance,\u201d she told me. \u201cI can be very aggressive, and at the same time, I\u2019m very good at being steady. Most players are one way or the other, but I\u2019ve never been a truly defensive or offensive player. I think I\u2019ve had to work on being more aggressive in my own way, which isn\u2019t maybe the same outright power like and Aryna or Elena have. I think mine is a more balance approach of taking the ball early, using my footwork, using my hands and my timing to do that. Then obviously, I\u2019ve used my serve to make it more of a weapon against those girls. That has really helped to set up the next couple shots so I\u2019m not on the defense as much.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been more about emphasizing things that I already do really well and make them a little bit better.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve taken a lot of things that I\u2019ve seen players like to do to me, and it makes me less predictable in my pattern…I\u2019ll think about the opposite side of the net and anticipating what players think I\u2019m going to, and then do the opposite! That sounds simple, but it helps.\u00a0Jessica Pegula<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n\nPegula has also learned a lack of weaknesses has its perks, inspiring a late-career openness to improvisation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve taken a lot of things that I\u2019ve seen players like to do to me, and it makes me less predictable in my pattern,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not even something I\u2019m thinking about, but something I\u2019ve been able to naturally do.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll think about the opposite side of the net and anticipating what players think I\u2019m going to, and then do the opposite! That sounds simple, but it helps.\u201d<\/p>\n
The American\u2019s 2026 entr\u00e9e to clay was a veritable baptism by fire against a cadre of\u00a0dirtballers, most of whom put Pegula on the brink of defeat. Her final match ended up being the easiest of all, a 6-2, 6-2 victory over the tournament\u2019s Cinderella story, Yuliia Starodubtseva.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actually nice that I played much better today because I think I have a bit more confidence. In the other matches, I wasn\u2019t feeling my best or playing my best tennis, so I think I\u2019m going to build off what I can do better,\u201d she told me. \u201cToday at least shows I\u2019m able to do some of the things better that I\u2019d been doing in the previous matches this week. I\u2019ll take that as positive momentum moving forward into my training.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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