Jessica Pegula has flourished into one of tennis’ most consistent and celebrated players, even if she does not have a Grand Slam title to her name.
However, although time may be ticking, she seems to consistently be seen as one of the favourites no matter which event she plays, which must count for something.
We are now entering a rather crucial period in the tennis calendar, with two WTA 1000-level events leading up to the US Open, the final major of the year.
And perhaps more importantly, all three are contested on North American hard courts, effectively home territory.
Jessica Pegula has insisted that the opportunity to play in front of a larger, more passionate and expectant crowd does little to impact any pressure she feels.
Jessica Pegula explains why she doesn’t feel extra pressure playing in American tournaments
Speaking at a recent press conference, she was asked whether she related to Ben Shelton’s claim that he feels extra pressure performing in front of a home crowd.
However, Pegula explained how she disagrees, before explaining how it is different for the men than the women.
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She admitted: “Yeah, I don’t know if I feel that much pressure, just because there’s so many of us that I do think we get a little bit of a break. When one doesn’t do well, there’s usually another one in the draw that’s able to kind of pick up the slack.
“So, I mean, I’m honestly kind of thankful that there’s so many of us when I’ve been a top player, because I can imagine, like, the pressure, maybe more of, like, a Serena, Venus type of situation, not just being already amazing champions, but then also coming into the US swing as Americans, feeling like, okay, they’re the ones that have to win the US Open every single time. So I’m thankful I’m not the only one.
“I think that we all kind of share a bit of that pressure, which, in my mind, has been nice to alleviate some of it. So, yeah, I mean, it’s interesting that he feels it a lot. I think it’s almost like we share it a bit, but there is a lot of talk about it, because there are so many of us.”
Then, discussing the potential lack of success there might appear to be because of this depth of talent, Pegula added: “I think we always get asked and pressed, like, Oh, American tennis is doing so well. But, like, maybe besides Coco winning the French last and winning the US Open, like, we’re not winning every single slam, and there’s a lot of us.
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“So, I do think sometimes I feel that pressure on all of us, kind of, like, well, there’s so many of you, and you guys are all so good. Why are you not, like, winning every single slam? And I think that’s where you feel some of the pressure.
“And, obviously, for the guys having to battle against, like, Jannik and Carlos, and a lot of those guys, and now Zverev, it’s probably harder, I think, for them.”
Pegula also explained the issue many players have with the balls at the minute in that same press conference.
Jessica Pegula’s record at WTA 1000 events and Grand Slams held in America
It’s worth placing Pegula’s claims alongside her actual results at American events over the past few years, to see whether this apparent lack of pressure is feeding into improved results.
To limit the sample size, it was decided to focus on only the WTA 1000 events and the Grand Slam held in America, although it’s worth noting that she does also have titles in Washington, Charleston and Austin.
Across Indian Wells, Miami, Cincinnati and the US Open, Pegula boasts roughly a 75% win rate, despite having actually never won any of these four tournaments.
She was a runner-up three times: once in Miami in 2024 and last year in both Cincinnati and the US Open.
Pegula’s rate of 68 wins and 23 losses across these four events, and her subsequent win rate, is actually therefore above her career average of 65%, and at lower-tier US events like the three she has won, her win rate jumps to 88%.
This data is all across a ten-year period.
