Pegula unlocks the 'trophy' of the surfaces

Fernando Murciego | 7 Apr 2025 | 12.54

Jessica Pegula and her trophy in Charleston. Source: Getty

Streaming WTA Jiujiang live tennis

🎾 Jessica Pieri vs Han Shi

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

At 31 years old, it's a wonderful age to win your first professional title on clay. A surface that always eluded Jessica Pegula, or rather, didn't offer the same ease to achieve her goals. But this has changed at the WTA 500 in Charleston, where we've seen her dominate each opponent as if she were a specialist. Yesterday, after defeating Sofia Kenin in the final, we could hear her on the Tennis Channel sharing her happiness and showing the motivation generated for the upcoming tour. No player has won more matches than Jess in 2025, so we should definitely keep an eye on this woman who already has trophies in all conditions.

Final Development

"I was telling my coach that it felt like playing against a wall, it was exhausting. Obviously, she has been playing at a high level, we had some games where anything could have happened, along with a constant wind, challenging conditions. A small slip could take you out of focus momentarily, but that meant three consecutive errors, although it was the same for both of us. In the second set, I tried to make the most of my momentum to avoid the third set, where you never compete the same way. We ended up showing a high level but extremely tired."

The Toughest Obstacle

"Mentally, it was the toughest, it was exhausting to constantly think about how hard it was to win each point, to start over from scratch, one also arrives with an emptier tank for the final match. Somehow, I found a way to relax and focus only on the things I really needed to pursue. I was aware of how tired I was, so I held onto that positive energy to help me calm down. That's when I started to play better, to serve better, all the way to victory."

Transition from Hardcourt to Clay

"It happens every year when I finish in Miami, my intention is to come here and do well, but everyone knows I'm coming from Miami, so in a way, they expect me not to do as well here. This year, I arrived feeling that I was playing very well, I really thought I could win the title, but I thought the same in Miami. When I like the conditions of a tournament, I always believe I can win, even if it doesn't always come true. I didn't mind the surface change too much, I know that if I play well, there's no reason I can't win."

Top 20 Letter to Grand Slams

"Several players, including myself, have signed that letter requesting an increase in the prize money at the Grand Slams. We believe we deserve to receive a greater share of the total amount these tournaments are producing. We'll see what happens in a couple of months, but yes, we thought we needed to push a little on that front, especially thinking about women's tennis. It's amazing that, even at this stage, only the Grand Slams guarantee equal prize money for men and women, so there is still a lot of work ahead."

Outstanding First Quarter

"Tennis is unpredictable, but yes, so far we can say it's my best start to a season. Last year, for example, was clearly the worst, but there was still a long way to go in the season, so it's fun to think about these things. Right now, I am very happy with the results, arriving here and maintaining this good momentum on another surface, so I hope to keep this feeling for a long time. Winning is always fun, but I recognize that I have worked on many aspects to improve what I did in 2024, so I approach the clay tour with a lot of motivation. I know it's not my favorite surface, but it's not the worst either, so what happened this week should help me in the future."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Pegula desbloquea el "trofeo" de la superficies