Pegula: "My personality helps me stay calm in high-pressure situations"

Pedro de Pablos | 3 Apr 2026 | 10.31

Pegula: "My Personality Helps Me Stay Calm in High-Pressure Situations"

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Jessica Pegula, the top seed at the WTA 500 in Charleston, had to endure a tough battle in the round of 16 to come from behind against Elisabetta Cocciaretto, eventually prevailing with a score of 1-6 6-1 7-6 after two hours of play. Following the match, the American tennis player emphasized the importance of her mindset in overcoming these types of matches.

On the clay court, not the favorite surface for the 5th ranked player in the WTA rankings, Pegula has had to rally after losing the first set in the first two rounds of this tournament. Nevertheless, Pegula pointed out that this experience could be beneficial in terms of gaining momentum for the major tour events and expressed her hopes of delivering a better performance against Diana Shnaider with the aim of reaching the semifinals.

Full press conference of Jessica Pegula at the WTA 500 in Charleston

Match against Cocciaretto

Yes. Today's match was very tough. I managed to come back in the third set, but it was a match with ups and downs, I believe, from both sides. I didn't start very well, but I managed to play well at the end, when I needed it the most. I played a really good second set, but then in the third, I started poorly. It was a bit cloudy, a little cold, and I felt like I wasn't getting into the court enough. I think I served very well in the second set and was able to serve well despite being down 1-4, and I think that made a significant difference in turning the match around.

Yes, I know. I mean, she's a good player. The few times I've played against her, she's good. I saw she won a tournament earlier this year. She has defeated many Americans. I saw her defeat a girl at BJK, Emma Navarro, and then defeat Coco in the Middle East, and then Coco had a tough three-set match against her in Miami. I don't know if she loves playing against Americans or what, but I have definitely seen her play at a very high level on multiple occasions, and she is a player who hits the ball very well, placing it in the corners of the court really effectively. In fact, I think she also has a very good serve, very deceptive, even though she is not very tall. But she places it quite well.

Training side by side

We are used to it. I always find it very interesting in our sport, where you are literally beside them and about to play in an hour. Sometimes we laugh because you go, and your locker is right next to theirs, and then you
change right next to them, getting ready for your matches and warming up together. It's such an interesting dynamic in tennis where you compete against each other, but you can be right there. And that's something no other sport really has.

If you're in a team sport, you wouldn't dare be that close to them. Even when they are warming up on the field or court, it's like you're on separate sides. We're used to it, but it's a bit strange. Since we spend so much time together, it doesn't seem that strange to us, although I can see from an external perspective that it's a sort of interesting mental aspect to have to compete against someone but then share training time with that person.

Pegula's Personality

I think when I'm in those tough situations, my personality helps me stay calm. I mean, there are times when maybe on certain occasions, I could be a bit more energetic to motivate myself... I don't know, maybe in the early matches of the
third set, as if I had a bit more energy to get through those matches, to send a message that I'm going all out, with lots of energy and things like that. I think sometimes I can do better, but I do believe that when I'm down, my personality gets me out of many situations because I don't stress excessively, and I don't think I show it.

At times players can feed off the energy and emotions of others, and if I'm not contributing much, I think sometimes it's hard for a player to gauge how I'm feeling. That helps me think very clearly when I'm in a tough situation. And I really felt I had to resort to that today because at times I felt I wasn't thinking well out there, for whatever reason. And I had to concentrate to find that mood, that problem-solving mental state. And I think if you let your emotions take over, it's very difficult to do at times, at least for me.

Benefit of these matches to get rhythm on clay

Probably not ideal, but the truth is there isn't much I can do about it. In fact, today I felt pretty good, considering it was such a long match. I played the first match on clay and was surprised that my body felt really good. Obviously, we'll see tomorrow how I feel, if I get through that match. I'm not sure, but the time on court, obviously, is longer.

So yeah, I'm sure it will affect me in the long run, but I don't mind having all these tough matches now. I think at some point, you need it on clay. I'm a bit glad it's happening now and not in a month, when suddenly I have to play these tough matches and my legs aren't in shape, and my lungs aren't ready, and all those things. So being able to go through all of this, both mentally and physically, playing matches and getting accustomed to clay now, I think is the best-case scenario.

Support from the crowd

Well, I tend to be a bit in my own world, but I also think that when I hear the crowd, I never want to show them that I'm very frustrated or setting a bad example for anyone who is really cheering for me, and I want to give them a reason to cheer me on. So I feel that in that sense, my attitude is usually better. I think I compete a bit better because I don't want to disappoint them in that sense. And even if I lose, that's okay as long as I'm there, competing and such. So I think, in that sense, they always help me a lot. As for them being against me, I don't know. I don't pay enough attention for it to really affect me. I've played against fairly demanding French crowds before, at the Olympics, at the French tournament last year. And honestly, I think it's fun. Whenever the crowd interacts, I think it's the best, even if it's not in your favor.

Match against Shnaider

It's been a while since I last played against her. We played a few times a year ago, not very often, but a few times. I haven't played against her on clay, so, yeah, we'll see. I think a left-hander is always tricky, especially her. I find her smart, but she also knows how to play quite aggressively. Moreover, when she strings matches together, she gains confidence. That's how she delivered a really convincing result today. So I'll have to give my best to adapt. I feel like I've played against a different mix of players. And it's always challenging, moreover, when you don't have a day off in between to adjust to all these different players you're up against.

I played against Putintseva, who is a pure clay court player, hitting high balls, and today it was the complete opposite, and then tomorrow, a left-hander who will be quite shrewd. So I'm going to look at how I played against her the last few times, what worked. And I think I'm doing some things better now. But who knows with my matches this week. I don't know how it's going to go, to be honest. I'll give my best to try to find my game, hopefully sooner than I have this week.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Pegula: "Mi personalidad me ayuda a mantener la calma en situaciones límite"

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