NATIONAL BANK OPEN

August 5, 2026

Jessica Pegula

Press Conference

J. PEGULA/M. Frech

3-6 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Jess, congrats on the win today, well played. Tough opponent, tough weather conditions. What do you think you did well today?

JESSICA PEGULA: Super proud of myself today. I think it was a bit of a mental and physical battle, just dealing with the heat. Felt like it got really hot out there.

Obviously it was a little bit of a longer match and longer points. Getting used to the conditions here with just one day yesterday was really tough.

Super happy with just the way I was kind of mentally able to bounce back from losing that tough match on Monday. That sucked (laughing).

So being able to kind of flush it and get out there and battle, even after losing the first set, I think was, it was good.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Sort of like a flashback to DC with Magdalena. I know last week you were talking about some of the players that kind of, you kind of know what you're getting into with back-to-back three-setters with her. She's sort of getting that status on the hierarchy of people that you were talking about last week.

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I mean, it's one thing, it's kind of nice knowing that you just played them last week, like there's nothing new.

But at the same time, I think her mindset probably going in is, she already had a match, I only had a day to kind of turn things around. I felt like the momentum maybe was a bit more in her favor in that sense.

Considering we went to three sets also, it was very similar to the match that we played in DC. Like very, very similar.

So I was just happy with the way I was able to mentally stay in there today. I do think it was more of a mental battle just for me figuring out what to do and not get too frustrated.

Then obviously when it got pretty hot I think I was struggling a bit, getting a little bit tired, but was able to just kind of keep my focus and my emotions in check.

She's a tough opponent, makes you play a lot of balls, makes you have to really beat her, and competes very well.

I think having to face an opponent like that back-to-back is never easy, especially with a quick turnaround this week.

Q. Wondering, the WTA recently announced that there will be that one-time gender test. I wonder how you feel about it, if players have been given the chance to give their opinions, and what's your opinion?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, my opinion is I think the WTA just wanted to update their policy based on what they have seen from other sporting organizations.

So far, at least from my point of view, I don't really have any pushback on it. I think I haven't heard, even being on council, no players have really mentioned or said anything about it.

Now that it's been announced, I think we'll see. Obviously now that we are here in Toronto, a bigger tournament, and going into Cincy when the testing starts, we'll see if there's any more feedback.

I think so far no one's really said anything, and I think it's more just the tour making a decision updating it, and it kind of is what it is.

Q. So do you think the testing is going to begin in Cincy?

JESSICA PEGULA: I think so.

Q. Have you been told?

JESSICA PEGULA: Is it Cincy? Yeah, I think it's Cincinnati is when it starts.

Q. So you've been communicated some details about how this is going to roll out?

JESSICA PEGULA: Oh, yeah. Yeah, like we had a whole, we had to watch a video and do a whole thing to kind of, like a rollout of the education and why we're doing it.

It wasn't just kind of laid on us, like, you have to do this. There was a lot of education and stuff in the background of all the stuff the players have had to do to learn about it.

Q. I know you were on the players council for a long time. You have a different role now. But I want to ask you a bit about social media and the abuse and harassment to which the female players are subjected. Have you seen any improvement or, first of all you, can just address the harm that causes, but have you seen any improvement since the WTA released that report last June, looking at the numbers?

JESSICA PEGULA: I mean, it's such a tough topic. First of all, the negative side to it, you get terrible messages all the time. Whether you win, whether you lose.

They hit different platforms. You try to block them, but they will find an old post that they can still comment on, or an old video, or they find ways.

It's just really unfortunate. I think it's not just in our sport, it seems like it's in a lot of sports.

But I think women specifically it definitely seems like it's catered to be worse in our sense. It's just really unfortunate.

I think betting has a lot to do with that. Which is, I know that betting in a way can grow the sport, it gets people interested. I've seen that in several other sports, how it gets people really interested in a game that maybe they weren't interested in before.

But, unfortunately, kind of all the bad apples and the bad seeds that have to, that go through that, and probably have other issues going on in their lives where they feel the need to harass players about it. I think that's, to me, it seems like that's the main reason that we are seeing so much abuse and hate. What was the rest of your question?

Q. Yeah, if you've seen a difference or impact since that report, in terms of just even the betting sites being more conscious of it.

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I mean, I don't know if I've really seen much of a difference.

On my end, I just try to not allow any comments on match days. Which actually reminds me, today I don't think I did that, so I'll probably have messages.

But I think just more, from my perspective, like controlling what I can control. I think that does make it better.

I do hope that one day we have a platform that will maybe do a better job of weeding those things out.

I think right now there was a tool, but it was through Facebook, and I didn't have Facebook, and I just didn't feel like making a Facebook, so I didn't sign up for it. But just a way to kind of filter out a lot of those comments that you don't actually have to even see them.

But at least from my sake, I kind of just limit things on my social side, and just try not to look at it.

It's pretty interesting how, like, it always seem to be directly, like, during your match or right after. But after a few days, like after a day, they don't happen.

So it's a very reactionary kind of response that you get from a lot of these bettors. So when you can limit that or shut off your comments, I mean, you're usually okay, and no one really ends up saying anything.

But it's just, it's unfortunate that people suck sometimes, you know.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the expanded 1000 level format that we have for a second year in a row here in Canada, just in terms of player reaction to that, and what are the pros and cons for you personally for the extra time that these tournaments are now occupying on the schedule?

JESSICA PEGULA: This swing, it's been weird. I'm not even sure I really even can keep up. We're so used to like the two-week events or a one-week event that now that it's staggered kind of awkwardly I have to, like, I'm looking at the fact sheet, like, trying to still get it in my brain of like, Okay, I think it's a Thursday final, and Cincinnati starts this day.

It's just very different. I think it's something that still confuses me. I don't know, we'll see. Last year was the first time. This year I think, is it a little bit different maybe than even last year? Or is it the exact same? I don't know. Oh, it's the exact same. Okay.

I personally don't love the two-week events. This makes it feel kind of shorter in a way, which I like. But I know maybe it's not ideal for tournaments to be having like Thursday finals, and it's just kind of weird kind of the setup.

So I don't really know what I think about it yet. I don't know, you'll have to maybe ask me after this year. It's different, so to me it feels always kind of weird.

Q. For casual fans, they might think coming in from a hard court tournament to another hard court tournament, same, same. What are the differences between DC and here in terms of the court and the balls after your first match today that you've noticed?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I mean, there's so many differences. It's something that, yeah, like the normal fan probably has no idea, or someone that doesn't play tennis.

One is the weather. I mean, that can change the way the balls are completely. These balls are pretty light. At least it's the same ball now, which is great. So you're playing with the same ball, but they react totally different compared to the weather.

DC, shockingly, wasn't that hot that week, which was pretty uncommon. Today definitely felt a bit hotter. The balls kind of fly a bit more.

I would say that maybe the court in DC felt a little bit slower or grittier in a way. Here I think it skids through the court a bit more, which I like. But it does, you know, with only a day, it takes a little bit of time to get used to those types of conditions. But, yeah, I mean, it feels different. It feels different.

Q. After the Washington final, it seems like there was a push on like social media for Filipino fans to subscribe to the podcast. Curious if you've noticed that growth. Can you speak to that and the new digital fan base that you're getting?

JESSICA PEGULA: Filipino fans are insane. They, like, yeah, we were getting, like, I don't know how many we ended up with, but we definitely got like 4,000 or 5,000 more subscribers after that match.

Even when I was leaving the stadium they're like cheering for me. And I'm like, they're just excited to be there. There's just a lot of excitement.

I think it's really cool that maybe because she's been on our podcast before that maybe they like me a little bit more. Maybe I've gained some Filipino fans.

It's crazy, their presence. I think I hadn't really looked online much yet, but I someone from our teams did text us there was a lot of Filipino comments online, and people, just a lot more I guess interaction with their fan base, especially through our podcast. Which is, I mean it's pretty cool. I'm glad that they like to listen and follow and I think that's really neat that it's crossed over.