Jessica Pegula Press Conference | 2024 US Open Round 2

uh assess your play from round one to round two what you saw from your play first round and then second round oh CU I didn't do press first round we're sneaking in both matches here um sneaky um yeah the first match obviously like totally different match I mean Shel we going into retirement as well and then um playing late playing on ash um it's always just kind of weird especially for first match so I felt like today I had a little bit more Rhythm I felt a little bit more calm out there um it was tough to handle kind of the first round situation but coming into today I thought we played some like high level tennis and I thought Sonia played really well and you know luckily I was able to kind of get the break back both sets and then actually serve um pretty well in some key moments too thank you name and affiliation please Peter Peter Bodo um uh 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 I don't know how to answer that I mean 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 a tougher situation to deal with um so I can't really say on on that but um I mean she's a grand slam Champion she's a she's a good player I mean she knows she can play at a high level um and I feel like she's been playing a little bit more solid this year and 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 um 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 um you know to to my best of my ability I guess today but yeah I don't know how to answer that question David hi just David Kane tennis.com speaking more broadly about that Dynamic typically to be an American at the US Open is to receive you know all the support during the match and when there's another American on court how does that change the dynamic yeah I think it's um I don't know it just feels a little bit more like maybe they the crowd isn't fully cheering for you he knows if you're playing someone else I think that there's a little bit of that battle where they know both players and they want Americans to do well so um maybe the atmosphere slightly a little bit different but I mean I felt a lot of support today still and um it was still really fun and I think the crowd gets into it when when there's multiple Americans because they can just cheer for some really good tennis as they know you know someone that one of us is going to get through to the next round Neil you were down in the first set 34 1540 slam your racket down other than being pissed off at the time what you what were you feeling then and what did you do to just reel off four points in a row right after that no you're right I was very pissed off at the time not happy but I've tried to do better at just I mean I know I don't show a lot of emotion but I still get upset and 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 because I think sometimes when you try to hold it together it can still you can kind of have a lot of builtup tension so um even though maybe my outbursts aren't as extreme at least for me they feel more extreme so I like to just kind of get out of my system and then it's like okay right back like it's it's on to the next point so I think as long as I can do that um sometimes it's good to show a little bit of emotion and I knew that was a big moment and I knew that if I could get out of that game obviously it shifted the entire first set so um I'm glad I was able to to kind of just move on and play the next Point as it was and get out of that game but um you know it's moments like that that can really change the set and change a match aa aa W Washington Post just you've been asking players about um Caroline Garcia what she posted on on social on the cyber bullying and everything like that and I'm wondering how 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 the ITF and a lot of tournaments using the AI like anti-cyber bullying things do you have to square those and those being two kind of things that don't work together or does it actually like makees sense that if you have one you should have the other how do you kind of think about that yeah I I heard that um some of the AI stuff works with the betting companies to try to combat the betting the betters that get really upset and send us messages um I mean I don't know I mean I know that's such a big industry and I know it's something that is there um 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 so I think um yeah I thought what she said was was great I mean it's something that I don't think people really realize cuz we're so used to it and um I mean I just like don't even let anyone send me messages and I'll turn my comments off sometimes during tournament weeks because it doesn't matter if I win or lose someone's going to say something and honestly I I don't really care that much because I know they're all crazy but like I feel bad when like my grandparents like or my I don't know are on my Instagram and I see some horrible comment and they're like like there's this girl uh that does my social media for my ready 24 and she was like you know you're getting a lot of really bad messages and I laughed because I'm like it's so normal for me I'm like oh no don't worry it's nothing but she was like Gravely concerned that I was like getting death threats on my ready 24 Instagram page I was like no no no I mean it's not normal but it's totally normal for us and 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 to make it better because no one wants to see that online like nobody does and and we all know it's it's from people that are betting and it doesn't matter win or lose um they're going to say something so I mean yeah I think it's great that they're working with those companies because um 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 right re I just the national U congrats on the win uh this is about the WCA finals I'm wondering um is there a sense among the players that so much is writing on the success of this particular WTA finals given the past few years a lot of players kind of lost trust in the process and everything can you try and share a little bit how much is writing on the success of this WCA finals and and what what are you sensing yeah I mean of course like I'm sure the tour would love to to snap back from the last couple years of rough finals but at the same time there were also like covid circumstances and like things that were impacting those decisions so I think it was kind of they knew it wasn't going to be great it wasn't great and now you know they have kind of a new um place that we're going to go to for hopefully the next few years at least and um I you know I think they they know it's I'm assuming it's probably can't be worse so I think it's definitely going to be better but also they know that they have somewhere to build for a couple years too because it just circumstance wise like having to relocate every year just you're never going to be able to grow it and make it great so I think they feel probably a lot more confident that they actually had time they could plan it out they had several years and I I mean I think for sure it'll be better than it was the last few years definitely I it really can't be worse Howard uh hi Howard fendri for the Associated Press how much in general do you pay attention to or even watch men's matches when you're at a Grand Slam Tournament and more specifically I'm just curious your thoughts on Ben against Francis tomorrow and do you think you might watch any of that yeah I definitely watch a lot of the men's matches I watch I try to watch a lot of the matches um it's nice going back to the hotel it's all on TV um it's exciting it's you know on ESPN I can pull it up and see it on my phone but um yeah I definitely watch a lot of the men's matches I was watching Taylor and bartini last night um Francis and uh Ben is going to be obviously a big match I was hoping that they you know all won and made it to the third round because I I saw they were going to play each other fairly early um in a slam so that'll be really exciting but yeah I I love I like watching men's tennis I I still think women's is more entertaining cuz they're just so fast and their serves are so good that like sometimes it can get repetitive but I love seeing the matchups and how they play each other and um you even just trying to to pick up on things that that they like to do but it's definitely a different game so um I like watching and and learning and um obviously and I watched Novak a little bit last night too really 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 factly refer to death threats yeah right like I mean I don't know it's it's crazy that how it's become so normal and just to that sense like yeah it's it's not good and it's it's like you we we know it all happens but just yeah for Caroline to kind of call it out um especially after a loss it's just yeah it's unfortunate like I don't know it's just it shouldn't happen I guess I don't know what else to say it sucks H 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 um there's just so many of them so I literally just like I don't think anyone can send me I I will block my comments so people that only I follow can comment back like during tournament weeks and then I don't allow any direct messages from anybody um just to kind of limit all of that and then um but you know if you're collaborating with someone they can still comment on stuff you've been tagged in so I still see comments and they suck I mean you try and block and Report the ones that are really bad but like I don't really know what ever gets done about those if people just make new accounts I mean some of them are like I think like brand new accounts like I think they literally just make an account to just say something because they'll have like no followers no P like nothing yeah so it's it's bizarre it's definitely worse on um than on Instagram than I would say like Twitter X or whatever it's called now but yeah I don't know it's it's unfortunate that um yeah you have to see like threats against you over stupid betting Court just it's been a few months now obviously since you started working with Mark and Mark um and but now that kind of your game has settled into I assume a place that you're pretty happy with wondering 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 operate yeah um well Mark Merkin has been traveling a little bit more and then Mark nolles has been there um he was there for Wimbledon in Cincinnati and he's here um doesn't travel quite as much um but yeah I feel like we found a good Groove where like I know how to communicate with them they know how to communicate with me they everyone kind of knows what they're there for I guess um and 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 to win some matches and put together some good weeks so we've kind of just stuck with what's been working um but it's nice that we kind of found that Groove a little bit because I I love hearing different voices and having different personalities to work with I think it makes it more exciting and a little less mundane but um at the same time it's more than one person so I think you do have to figure out a way to balance it but um it's been nice that you know since I feel like since the grass really we've we've kind of found a nice groove on what each person kind of likes to talk about what they like um and yeah I think it's it's worked really really well so hopefully we can just keep that going but um I would say noie does a little bit more like strategy and stuff like that and then I'm a little bit more Hands-On with Merkin just because I've been with him a little bit more time for a couple more lady in the back uh Alice BR usopen.org um ashleen Krueger knocked out Mira Andrea 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 yeah uh so nice to see her one get through that first round I was watching I know it was probably pretty nerve-wracking for her um I guess her first main draw Win which I didn't realize but um and then seeing her play well today I knew she she had a good chance and she has a big game and so I feel like when she's clicking I mean she can be a really big threat she's tall good surf power game um kind of reminds me of like a raw young rybakina a little bit um she's a big hitter so I think it's nice to see her find some confidence and and kind of you know power through that match today as well I was watching a little bit of the end before I went out but um yeah she's a really sweet girl and I used to work with her coach Michael so um we've practiced quite a bit and I've played her actually a lot this year so it's been nice I mean I think it's it's nice to be a little bit of a mentor and just let her know like I'm here to talk if she ever wants to talk but um I remember when I was younger just 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 so uh I try to do my best um you know to play that part now that I've gotten older toone just to from the guardian uh I'm I'm writing a piece about practice and I'm um 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 hooked oh yeah for sure yeah yeah I won't name names but uh 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 and you're like was it in was it out and they're kind of like well I don't know and you're like do I take the point do you want me to take the point and then it it gets very indecisive and then I feel like sometimes the coaches are like literally making the calls because some of the girls just like won't call anything and um or don't really know what to call so like you look at the coach and they're just like in or you know out or in or whatever it is because that can also be even worse but I've definitely gotten hooked and practice for sure okay on on another night you out practicing right after this yeah I did I went and hit some returns yeah why did you feel the need to do that and how often do you do that um I don't do it that often sometimes but yeah I just felt like I wasn't returning that great um so I just went out and hit a couple more returns I mean I have a day off tomorrow so um we had some time and the court was open but um 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 to hit hit it's usually like a specific thing I'm working on all right three quick follow-ups Peter Neil re Peter we saw the other night that you can be quite emotional do you ever do you ever envy people who are able to just blow a gas on the court and about oh to like yeah and just let it all hang out kind of or um I can't believe I cried more than Shelby that's like she was like I how what I was like yeah I don't know I'm so sorry we flipped rolls last night um or the other night but um am I envious of people being able to who can actually let it all hang out like that and who Express their emotions yeah like even if I think I am and I see like a clip I'm like that it doesn't even look like anything um and people don't even notice it because it looks like normal um I don't know if I'm jealous I think a lot of people usually tell me that they're jealous with how like even Kei can be during a match um so yeah I mean I think it I might be more entertaining and maybe it would be more fun if I could be like a Ben or even a coco or a TFO but I just can and and sometimes too even when I do get really fired up for me it like makes me like tired and I'm like exhaust I'm like this is exhausting cuz I'm having to like exert so much emotion that I'm not that's not how I am so um I just try to stay in my my little personality bubble I guess Neil Neil best for me Newsday sorry I forgot to say that the first time thank you um you talk you talked earlier about the support you feel partly as an American but do you as you've been around longer now and the fans have gotten to know you more are maybe rooting for that Deep Run do you feel it more now than you did two three four years ago probably I think um maybe I've been able to be more of a consistent name the last couple years so I definitely feel like there's more of like stable support probably this past year or even last year um than at the beginning when I was still doing well but maybe not as familiar so yeah I think because I've been you know pretty stable the last few years that I I do feel like there's maybe a little bit more support this year um which is nice I mean it's cool to know that people actually follow my have followed me for years which is is really nice final question tennis recently has kind of re-entered pop culture in a different way whether it's because it's movies and 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 yeah I know what you mean thank you so I'm wondering if you have felt it on site here as one as the biggest tournament in America have you felt that there's more people around or is there a sense that it's different yeah I mean I feel like especially here um I mean Wimbledon I feel like you kind of feel it you always feel it as the slams Wimbledon definitely and then but I feel like here the last few years years yeah it's really gotten more there's more celebrities there's more people coming like it just seems like it's gotten bigger and bigger every year um I think maybe after Co and once they kind of got through like maybe the year or two after it seems like since then it's been like blowing up and um I mean I mean it's nice to see it's nice to see the sport growing um you know hopefully it'll grow more than just this slam and you start seeing it you know more around in other ways but um it's been yeah think really fun I like going on you know the social sites and seeing all the content that they post or the Tik toks or like the funny um videos with was it uh what this who here the SLB that loves the DodgeBall Ben Stiller yeah like seeing all those videos and how he's like a crazy tennis fan I'm like that's so cool so I I think it's great um 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 so I'm excited to see it hopefully grow outside side of just this tournament but um it definitely feels like it's it's become bigger um the last few years okay thank you everyone I don't know I don't know why we're having a moment but I'm here for it thank you thank you