US OPEN

September 2, 2025

Jessica Pegula

Press Conference

J. PEGULA/B. Krejcikova

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations once again. Convincing win. Your thoughts on your play today.

JESSICA PEGULA: I thought I played a really solid match again. I thought I came off, or started really hot and kind of was able to keep the momentum, even with a couple of, you know, shifts there in both sets, but I felt like I didn't quite let her get too comfortable today.

I thought I started off playing pretty aggressive, making her move a lot, and just kind of pressuring her serve as well. You know, luckily was able to kind of execute that throughout the whole match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I'm just thinking about last year, Toronto, Cincy. Coming in here, you had so many matches. You've said you play well when you've got a lot of matches going. Yet, this year is a little bit different. Here you are again in the late stages. It works either way for you, I guess.

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I guess I don't need as many matches as I thought (smiling). No, I mean, I think having matches and having that confidence always helps, but at the same time it doesn't mean that it's going to translate into going deep into a slam.

I think I've gotten somewhat of a favorable draw leading up to today. I think I haven't really had to play anyone like matchup-wise as well that has really bothered me a ton, so I think that's helped.

But at the same time, I've been able to kind of go into those matches and really take care of business. I think that's also what's given me a lot of confidence is I've had -- you know, I've played good players, but convincing wins over those players.

Then today, you know, we know Barbora can play how she plays and she's super dangerous. There were even moments in the match where she hit some really good shots where I felt like the momentum could have shifted and stuff like that, but I did a good job, again, of playing the score really well, recognizing those moments, the momentum shifts, and I think that's something I've done well throughout every single match, which is kind of giving me the confidence that I've needed to work my way all the way to the semis.

Q. How important was it for you after Wimbledon to sort of get back on track in a slam? It was the first time in a really long time you had lost in the first round at a slam. Was that on your mind at all coming in here, and does this sort of get your stamp of approval getting to the semi?

JESSICA PEGULA: Of course. I mean, to even make the second week to then quarters, semis, is a huge accomplishment. You know, this was my biggest accomplishment last year was just getting past the quarterfinals. Now I can say I've done it twice.

But, yeah, Wimbledon wasn't great. I was a little, I don't know, frustrated after Wimbledon because obviously I won Bad Homburg and I was playing so well, and then of course you see Iga go on to win Wimbledon. I felt like I was playing good tennis, and it just did not translate at all for that first round.

I played someone that was playing really, really well, and that sucks. So it was kind of back to the drawing board. I got to spend a few weeks at home, but I think for the first few weeks I was kind of maybe overthinking a few things that I felt like I needed to do better on the hard courts instead of just going back to how I know I can win a lot of matches.

Then I lost a few tough matches. Against Leylah. I was up against Sevastova in Montreal, and I kind of felt like I did not play well that match. There were just a lot of things. I was trying a different string. I was doing I think too much.

Q. Like in July?

JESSICA PEGULA: In Montreal.

Q. This summer?

JESSICA PEGULA: This summer. I'm talking about this summer, yeah.

I just felt like when we came in after Cincinnati, another tough loss to Magda, I think our goal was just to get back on track and simplify things. So there was a lot of things that have happened since Wimbledon, I guess, is my point (smiling). There was a lot of ups and downs, a lot of interesting practices, honestly even leading up to the week before here.

So the goal was to simplify things and to get me back playing my game, and I feel like we've been able to do that. So I'm really happy that the challenge was met, I guess.

Q. Presumably in the final four there are no more favorable draws. You know, it's going to be the best of the best. How does having these convincing wins with the favorable draw, as you put it, kind of set you up for success going into this final four?

JESSICA PEGULA: Well, I mean, to clarify, playing Barbora is not easy. She has won two slams. She came back from match point. She beat Emma, who was a semifinalist last year.

It's not like I thought today was favorable at all. We've seen her do this where she starts getting deep in tournaments, and she wins a Grand Slam. So by no means was that favorable.

I think the matches leading up, just ranking-wise, maybe I feel like I just had a lot more experience. It wasn't that I don't think I played any bad -- I don't think anyone is a bad player, but I just felt like I was really able to use my experience, especially playing out on Ashe, to kind of convincingly win those matches.

But like you said, I saw the quarterfinal roundup, and it's all really tough matches. I mean, there's people that have won slams. Everyone has at least been to a slam final.

So it's kind of cool to see that all those players with all that experience have gone deep here, but yeah, it just gets harder from here on out. No matter who I play next, it's going to be a tough challenge. But, you know, at the end of a slam, you expect that to happen, and you expect people to be playing their best tennis and to be playing the best players, because those are the people -- even if they're not ranked high or whatever the scenario is, you know, for those weeks, those are the players that are playing the best.

So I think it's going to be tough either way, but I'm just happy that I've been able to kind of work my way even to this point, considering where I was a few weeks ago.

Q. You mentioned we don't yet know who your opponent will be, so I would like to ask you about each one individually, starting with Aryna. How did you process what happened at the end here last year, and how is your mindset today going into a match against her if that's who you play?

JESSICA PEGULA: I mean, I think it would be cool to be able to get revenge, obviously. I didn't even remember the score. I think I saw -- was it, like, 5-5 last year? I didn't even think -- I didn't even remember it being that close, which was kind of funny, because I think after the final I was just so, like, wow, we should be in a third set right now.

I was very, like -- there's so many things. I was, like, I didn't serve well. I could have done better. I wasn't very, Oh, you know, what a great match, I'm happy to be in the finals.

I literally walked off the court and told my coach, I didn't serve that well. My serve needs to get better. I didn't do this well, or I didn't do that well.

That's just the mentality that I have is I tend to look how I can get better so quickly, which is good, but also, in a way, I think coming into this year, seeing the feedback from all the fans and how much support I've gotten, I was, like, Wow, actually last year was pretty incredible, and I won't a crazy run, and I played some girl that just happened to be playing -- have an even 5% crazier return than me, winning Cincinnati, beating me in the finals, and then going on to win the US Open. And it was 5-5. I didn't even know the score, and I was, like, Wow, I was right there.

So I think this year I've come back with a different perspective, knowing that I wasn't playing well, to really enjoy the fact that, like, this is pretty cool and that I've had really good results here, and I have so much support. So that's been really nice.

I think going into it if I was playing Aryna again, I would probably have that mentality instead of maybe being so focused on, like, what I have to do so strongly instead of competing and, like, enjoying the crowd a little bit more and enjoying the fact that I'm in this position again to possibly be in another final and I'm playing the best player in the world.

I think there's a lot other perspectives that I would take into it this time.

Q. So you've covered that possibility. If it's not Aryna, what are your thoughts about the other possibility?

JESSICA PEGULA: I mean, Marketa has been playing some amazing tennis. And, again, it's so funny with the Czechs. They just kind of like pop in, and they're just, like, Yeah, we're just going to, like, go deep this week. Then you don't see them for like months and then they come back.

They're all so nonchalant and, like, so dangerous. I think that's how I always feel with Marketa. She's always playing really good tennis, has beaten a lot of really good players already, beaten seeds. Served amazing against Rybakina the other night. So, I mean, she's shown that she can also beat Aryna. She beat her before at Wimbledon.

She's just dangerous, and I think she's tricky. She's a lefty. We had a really close match at the French. Haven't played on hard probably in a while, so I mean, that would be different and kind of interesting. But, again, we've had a lot of really tough, close matches. I would take it the same way. Like, it's not easy, basically.

Q. You've got both of your coaches here at the US Open, and an increasing number of players travel with two or three coaches. I have the impression that many players travel with at least two different coaches. As a member of the Players Council, are you worried this will widen the gap with the players that can't afford a second coach or a third coach?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I mean, no, I'm not worried about that. I don't think everyone functions well with having multiple coaches. I think it's become more normal than what we are used to seeing.

Usually my two coaches aren't together at the same time. Usually they're separate. They come in for different weeks, and very rarely would I be paying them for both being here. I kept it the same this year because that's just what happened last year.

Yeah, I don't really think everyone responds well. I mean, it's hard, too, to get a team on the same page, to get two coaches on the same page. I don't think it always works for everybody.

To be honest, I actually like having less people around. I like kind of keeping it small compared to some of these other teams where there's, like, six people. I would not want that, nor do I strive to have that every single week.

So I really think it's more of a preference, to be honest. Obviously, yeah, top players could probably afford to have as many coaches as they wanted, but I don't always think that's better.

Q. Given the challenges you described this summer and the difficult week leading up to this tournament, what do you think it says about you that you've been able to turn it on and find your best tennis really at the biggest tournament of the year?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I just I guess surprised myself. I think, at the end of the day, I always come back to the fact that I'm pretty confident with who I am, and I think I'll always back myself and figure things out in the end instead of kind of spiraling and letting it go too far. I mean, I definitely do that a little bit, but I think I always catch myself just in time.

That's kind of what I've been able to do for the last four or five years, being a top player. I feel like I can always come back to the fact that I can figure it out in the end, and that always kind of hits me in the toughest moments of the year.

It doesn't mean it's easy, and it's obviously a challenge always, but I think now, especially as I've gotten older, I can just tap into a lot of the experience that I have.

And I think, too, this week I've really just tried to get back to competing and enjoying competing and keeping the attitude great and positive and enjoying playing on Ashe in front of the fans and, again, kind of taking that into account and getting back to more the fun aspect of playing.

I mean, that is fun. It's not fun to go out there and stress yourself out and, you know, be worried about how you're playing every second of the day.

But I definitely did that for a few weeks, but I guess I got over it (laughing).