Pegula always comes back stronger
After missing five major tournaments due to injury, the American has made a comeback on the recent summer tour. Now she wants to top it off in these last two months of competition.
The 2024 season of Jessica Pegula could be split into two completely contrasting versions. From missing four WTA 1000 events and a Grand Slam in the first half of the season to reaching three consecutive finals in the summer on fast courts. From experiencing an injury and a team change putting her against the wall, to feeling invincible at home and closer than ever to securing a ticket to the year-end WTA Finals. An upward journey worth analyzing, although no one better than her to assess this scenario in statements gathered by WTA.
“Honestly, after the grass court swing, I thought there was no chance left to make the WTA Finals this season; I needed to perform well in several Masters 1000 tournaments. Three months later, almost magically, I have managed to significantly climb the Race rankings, now positioned favorably to be present in Riyadh,” celebrates the Buffalo native after a movie-like comeback in recent months.
“I knew deep down that it was still possible; that possibility was always there, but it required many factors to come together, even though it wasn’t necessarily a goal I had in mind,” points out the woman who set a record of 15-2 between Canada, Cincinnati, and the US Open. “Of course, there were doubts, but I had a lot of faith in the work my team and I had been putting in and the mindset with which we returned to the tour. I decided to go all in with this process, to trust each practice session because missing the first half of the year didn’t mean forgetting how to compete at the highest level. There are many things I'm proud of,” concludes the American.
HEADING INTO THE FINAL STRETCH
Today, the horizon looks rosy for Pegula, who with a nearly 3,000-point surge has climbed to fifth in the Race and is on the verge of her third consecutive appearance as a master. After going winless in her 2023 debut, the American was the runner-up in the last edition, although it's still early to focus on that final stop. First, she must concentrate on this Asian swing that always brings surprises, although this time, the big surprise could come from her.
“I’m not as exhausted as I could have been at other points in the past; in fact, I feel a bit fresher than other players at this stage, so I'm glad everything worked out, even though I can’t say it was all planned this way,” she asserts vehemently. “Looking back at my history, I always came back stronger after every injury, always returned better than I was and achieved a higher ranking. I guess leaning on that experience helped me a lot,” she concludes.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Pegula siempre vuelve más fuerte