"We are having a great time, enjoying the moment and a new experience"

United States will fight tomorrow to conquer the Billie Jean King Cup 2025. A major challenge for a team in which several of its members were debuting in this Finals format: squad depth, quality of its singles players, and the good atmosphere and harmony perceived as a group are the key factors for the team led by Jessica Pegula to be the latest contender to dethrone Italy.

Precisely, Jessica Pegula confirmed the final spot after defeating Katie Boulter in a match where she started somewhat slow, but managed to raise her game and dominate from the baseline against the British player. With the goal of avoiding another defeat (she clearly lost to Rybakina in the quarterfinals), Jess showed her best version since the Finals began, reason enough to express happiness and explain in a press conference how her compatriots view what will be a very tough final against Italy with Paolini.

- A victory that serves as redemption after her loss to Rybakina

"I'm very, very happy. Both matches were a real battle for Emma (Navarro) and me. I'm happy to advance to the final. I wanted to prevent this series from going to doubles, especially after what happened against Kazakhstan; I wanted to show that I am the number one in the team for a reason and wrap up the tie. I'm very pleased to have turned the tables."

- Slow start but picked up momentum from the second set

"I think I started on court slowly, feeling awkward. She played much better than me in the first set, that's for sure; she went for it and her tennis flowed. I felt constantly out of position, not using my legs enough. My serving patterns were off too, although I think I ended up serving very well in the second and third sets. I had to raise my level. I returned to my usual serving strategy, focused even more on the return, and sought to find my rhythm a bit more, putting more effort into each exchange. I was able to play much better tennis in the third set."

- Putting the United States in the final, a sign of pride

"We're having a blast. It's my first time at the Finals, the first time for all of them too. It's a new experience that I'm enjoying with all of them, which is very fun. We are very happy about today's match, although we need to refresh and recover and focus on Italy. We are enjoying the moment. Win or lose, we have a fantastic team: it's a privilege to be here and experience it with all of them."

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- The importance of closing the tie in the second singles match, especially because there is no rest day before the final

"I remember that yesterday I was already in bed while the tie between Italy and Ukraine was being played. I thought I didn't want to be in that position the next day (she smiles). Once Emma achieved the first victory, that relieves a lot of pressure, but at the same time, you want to be the one responsible for closing the tie and not letting it go to doubles. Even if it had gone that way, I have a lot of faith in our team and our doubles players. But yes, things are easier this way. Now we have a bit more rest, that helps a lot before tomorrow."

- Next stop, Italy with Paolini... who leads 5-0 in their head-to-head

"Italy is a tough opponent. They defend the title. We've seen them fight all week, they compete to the fullest. In every match, I've seen Paolini come back and compete incredibly. It won't be easy, but this is why we compete; we have to measure ourselves against the best. It's going to be fun. It's been a while since I've played against Jasmine, and definitely not while she was in the top-10. It'll be interesting because it's been a while since we faced each other. I'm familiar with her tennis, although I think she's not the same player I last faced. In this format, in these matches, you can't underestimate anyone. She is one of the best players in the world right now."

- Positively surprised by the reception Shenzhen is giving to the competition

"I think the number of fans has been great. It's always good to see that. We've seen a very good audience, even when we played our first match at 10 AM, I was surprised by the number of fans present. People here love to see new and exciting things. They always get very excited and want to learn more about them. I've learned that I also have many Chinese fans; I've received many gifts, they've even given me a Chinese nickname. The fans here are very creative. It's amazing to be able to live our sport within a completely different culture and witness the growth process of a place where many young girls are watching us."

- Remaining calm under pressure, even when things are not going well: where does that come from?

"I just believe I'm a calm person, in general. That's my personality. Sometimes, I even need more energy to motivate myself. I felt that today I had to do that, find that energy somewhere to play better, because I felt I wasn't at a high enough level. My mother has always been very calm; maybe I got it from her, although I think it's a matter of personality."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Nos lo estamos pasando muy bien, disfrutando el momento y una experiencia nueva"