It’s Time to Recognize the Status of Jessica Pegula

It seems to me tennis fans are frequently starstruck, inspired by champions who transcend the sport with dazzling achievements and delighted by the enduring excellence of iconic performers. That is how it will always be for those living in the community of sports observers.

But because so many aficionados are transfixed by superstars, they lose sight of other players worthy of more attention. Consider one Jessica Pegula, a 29-year-old who has remained under the radar despite a remarkable rise over the past couple of years in her trade. Pegula is currently the top ranked woman in the United States, the thirdbest female player on the planet and arguably the ultimate professional in women’s tennis. Always winning and losing with equanimity—a classy sportswoman and cagey competitor—Pegula’s reverence for the game is unmistakable.

To put it succinctly, Pegula’s multitude of virtues has largely been taken for granted. The reasons she has been overlooked are numerous. First and foremost, Pegula is so immersed in and committed to her craft that she won’t pander to the crowds. She clearly enjoys what she is doing immensely and connects easily and naturally with audiences everywhere she performs but is not inauthentically striv- ing to be an entertainer. Pegula is justifiably preoccupied with winning as many tennis matches as possible. She knows herself well and understands what it will take to fully realize her potential.

The extraordinary quality of her work across the last couple of years has carried Pegula almost inexorably into the upper regions of the sport. Her reliability has been the chief reason why she has climbed to such heights. She has unhesitatingly done it step by step, reaching the top 100 for the first time in 2019 when she concluded the year at No. 76, finishing the following season at No. 62, surging into the top 20 in 2021. That year she reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the first time she had gone that far at a Grand Slam tournament. In 2022, unmistakably comfortable in loftier territory and increasingly confident when it counted, Pegula celebrated her finest season yet, advancing to the quarterfinals in three of the four majors and securing the WTA title at Guadalajara with triumphs over no fewer than four players who had won majors— Elena Rybakina, Bianca Andreescu, Sloane Stephens and Victoria Azarenka.

That was one of the high points of her distinguished career, and it was only the second WTA singles title she had sealed heading into April of this year.

Pegula played with quiet ferocity and purpose every time she stepped on the court in 2022. She was a model of consistency, victorious in 42 of 63 matches and wrapping up that season at No. 3 in the world. She won 19 of her first 25 matches in 2023, primarily due to her durability, intelligence and unshakable temperament.

What impresses me most about Pegula is how she navigates her way through psychologically strenuous contests when the winds of momentum are shifting back and forth precariously from one side of the net to the other, with the momentum fluctuating unpredictably from her opponent back to herself. Consider the win that sent her into the semifinals of the Miami Open this spring. Facing the gifted Anastasia Potapova, she was down double match point late in the third set, but her poise and perspicacity enabled Pegula to survive and prevail 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2). She was physically outplayed, but Pegula was better under duress. Her resolve is immeasurably strong. Her willingness to work inordinately hard to confront dire circumstances defines precisely who she is. Pegula’s mental toughness is her chief weapon.

The American’s backcourt game is strikingly flexible. Her flat strokes off both sides are hit with great depth and stay exceedingly low. She takes control of rallies by dictating off the forehand and defends very ably. Her court sense is excellent. She needs more velocity and deception on her serve, but surely that is something she and her coach, David Witt, are addressing. I don’t know if she will ever find a way to rise to the very top of the ladder. That is a daunting task. But this estimable woman will remain in the upper regions of the game for many more years. In the final analysis, Pegula’s stature, stability and popularity will grow decidedly in the seasons ahead, and the public will make it abundantly clear how deeply they appreciate her both as a person and a player.