THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2026

Jessica Pegula

Press Conference

J. PEGULA/S. Sorribes Tormo

7-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Jess, nice win this afternoon. Can you give us your thoughts on the match today.

JESSICA PEGULA: Super tricky today playing Sara. Haven't played her in a while. Haven't played her on grass. Yeah, she is using her slice, her hands are really good. I felt it was just really back and forth the first set and she was playing well and I was a little up and down but was able to kind of somehow pull out that tiebreak and run away a bit in the second, play much better.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. A question about Claire Liu. Everyone has their own path. She won the girls title here in 2017. Do you know her? Have you followed her story a little bit?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I know her a bit. She's a little younger and she was always out west, so I don't see her as much.

Yeah, I saw her name and I saw she won, and saw she qualified. It's really nice to see her doing well. You know, she was one of the better juniors coming up, like you said, won the junior title here. It's nice to kind of see her finding some rhythm.

I know she's dealt a lot with injuries and setbacks and seems to be in and out sometimes. I know she did have her ranking up there for a while. I remember I played her in Seoul at a 250 and I won in three sets. I think it was the year I won Seoul. Then I haven't seen her around much since.

It's always nice to see girls that, yeah, are figuring it out slowly but surely. I think I can relate to that.

Q. I'm wondering still how consistent you are and what was the moment where you just was with no pressure anymore? Last year you said you were working on mobility more and then this. What are you working now on? It seems like nothing disturbs you.

JESSICA PEGULA: I think that I would say probably in COVID is where I felt like I was able to train a lot. And I think I came out of that, being in Florida, I was able to still practice and do a lot of stuff, and I came out of that with just, like, a really good attitude.

I think that I kind of told myself, like, my ranking was high enough, I was going to be in a lot of tournaments. I wasn't close to being seeded or anything by then, but I told myself none of these girls are going to want to be here, there's no fans, everything is difficult, you have to get tested. There is, like, a million things to complain about.

I just remember I got in really good shape. One, I was much healthier, I got in really good shape. And I told myself I'm not going to complain about a single thing and that I'm just going to go out there and kind of be mentally tougher than anybody. And I ended up winning a lot of matches.

You know, maybe it kind of helped that there wasn't fans at the time because I was able to kind of build up a lot of confidence without maybe having to play a lot of big matches in maybe a full stadium where I maybe would have gotten more nervous if there was people there, I'm sure.

I think in that sense it kind of helped me build this really good base in solidifying myself as a top player since then. So it just kind of worked out for me.

Yeah, staying healthy is one thing. I think over the last couple years my serve, I have really worked on my serve. I have been serving much better this year. It's a process. I think it was getting better last year, but this year I do feel like it's kind of jumped up a level where I was able to be an ace leader at some of the events this year, and I think that was a pretty big jump in winning a much higher percentage on my first serve points. And then yeah, keeping my movement fresh.

You know, I'm not 20 years old, so I've got to make sure that I'm healthy and doing as much as I can in the gym. I think when I take care of a lot of that stuff, I just feel so much more confident on court. I just go out there and just try to be myself.

I mean, I was getting frustrated at the end of the first today, but I think I'm just really good at kind of knowing what I need at the time, like at the time I needed to kind of get mad at myself a little bit. Sometimes I know I need to stay really focused. Sometimes I need to be more positive, I need to show more energy.

But I just try to kind of be myself, and I just trust my personality and how I am and what I need quite a bit. You know, I really trust myself and the decisions that I make on tour, with my coaches, and everything.

In turn, I think I get confidence that way.

Q. The WTA Finals leaving Saudi Arabia and then arriving in Indian Wells. What do you think about that?

JESSICA PEGULA: The saga of the WTA Finals continues. It's like we can't catch a break, and I don't necessarily think it's our fault. There just tends to be a lot of world conflicts that seem to happen and get in the way.

But yeah, I mean, I was aware a bit that Indian Wells was an option. I think as far as them operating the event, I mean, they put on a great event every single year. I think that is what the tour felt comfortable with, because there is not a lot of time to find someone to be able to manage that and know what they're doing isn't easy.

I think they had the courts, they had the space, they know what they're doing there, and I think hopefully it will be a great replacement for the Finals.

And it's unfortunate we couldn't quite end in Riyadh on a good note. But, you know, things happen. So I think we just kind of have to go along with that decision. Hopefully I can be there in November.

Q. What do you think it will be like playing in those courts in November?

JESSICA PEGULA: It will be weird. A little weird. Yeah, I'm not sure. We'll see.

Q. I was there in early December.

JESSICA PEGULA: How's the weather?

Q. It was really nice.

JESSICA PEGULA: I heard it's actually very nice.

Q. I think they all have to be day matches.

JESSICA PEGULA: I mean, it gets cold there in the spring in March. I don't know. Hopefully the weather is pretty good. But I hear it's actually very good that time of year. So we'll see.

Q. Any updates on the tour calendar committee that you're...

JESSICA PEGULA: I actually don't. No, I don't have any updates. I think with the Finals thing, I think Valerie has been a bit sidetracked. So it's actually kind of funny. That's kind of on the agenda, is to get another update on that and get that moving.

Again, there always seems to be a lot of things going on at the same time. But I actually don't. I wish I did for you guys, but I know that's on the list after Wimbledon to hopefully get another update.

Q. Two matches into the tournament, usually on the regular tour you're pretty far into the tournament. You have to recalibrate your thinking in the major. Do you feel like you're in the tournament now?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I mean, you're so close to just going home, and then you're also so close to almost being in the second week where you feel like you're really in it, and you really have a chance at the title.

Yeah, right now I think it's still pretty raw, but at the same time, like, I think you feel pretty good about yourself having two matches at a slam.

I know there is not byes here, but the two-week 1000s now feel very long. So I think in a way that has kind of, I guess, prepped us to kind of understand the mentality to get through those long couple weeks, especially at a slam. It can be mentally kind of tiring, but I think that kind of helps in a way.

Q. I was wondering, that some time ago, you were not wanting to be so much in the spotlight, and you feel comfortable. You said it. Now you're sharing many things. Does it take some pressure, or is it fun?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah.

Q. This sharing with some friends?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I think with the podcast, what's been fun is it's just with my friends. And it's so funny because if you ask us to do media obligations, we're like, Do we have to? But if you say it's for the podcast, we're like, Anything for the podcast.

I think it's when you have other people you're trying to grow something with and you have fun doing it with, it makes it so much more fun.

I think people have been able to see my personality a bit more, because I'm not naturally super outgoing. But I think I have my own sense of humor and my own way of saying things. Now you're just kind of seeing it a bit more because of the podcast.

It's been kind of nice that all of us have very different personalities and we're kind of showcasing that in a different way, but in a way that feels very normal to us because it's just us kind of having fun and chatting and talking to each other.

Q. You said about the two-week tournaments, 1000s, and this tour calendar architecture committee. Do you think that's something that have to be in the sights of something to reform?

JESSICA PEGULA: Ideally, yes, I would love that. I don't really think players are a fan of the two-week events. However, I'm not really sure that's going to change, if I'm being quite frank. I think that's going to be something way further down the line, I guess is what I'm saying.

It can always change, but I don't think it's going to change that quickly, because obviously both sides of the tour are involved. I think for us on our side, it's our commitments and all our mandatory events and seeing if we can get some those numbers to be changed so players don't feel as much pressure.

I think that is something we're more looking at. To change quickly next year as far as changing a two-week event, I think that's much more of a long-term decision. But in my perfect world, I would love if there weren't as many two-week....

Q. Long-term goal?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, hopefully. I'm not a big fan of the two-week events.

Q. I don't know many players who are.

JESSICA PEGULA: I don't think any player has said that they love them (smiling).