US OPEN

September 2, 2026

Jessica Pegula

Press Conference

J. PEGULA/S. Kenin

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on advancing. Convincing win. Your thoughts.

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I think just happy with the way I played throughout the whole match. You know, to be out of there in under an hour, it doesn't always happen. So I think I'm just going to take that one and run, I guess, until the next round.

Yeah, happy with the way I played. I thought, again, it was another solid match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. There has been a lot of talks recently about the US Open crowd in the recent years about more, I guess, casual fans coming in and enjoying the tennis, you know, etiquette. There was recently a viral video of light in Arthur Ashe and people taking photos. What are your thoughts on how the crowd culture has changed over the years at the US Open, and what are your overall thoughts on it?

JESSICA PEGULA: I think I can appreciate, you know, the influencers coming and kind of showcasing, like, the US Open experience. I think that's something that the US Open has utilized a lot as far as food and drinks and things to do and the shops. That part is part of a fan experience and something that people might not know and make them want to go.

But I do think that it's tough when you see videos like that when they're taking pictures and using the selfie lights. People are down there trying to perform, and it's their career and their job. It seems like a bit disrespectful.

I think it's gotten a little maybe too much, it feels like, this year. I don't know.

I think, again, I can appreciate one side of it, but I think when you have the other side literally interrupting matches, it gets a little tough.

Q. Do you know who you're playing next?

JESSICA PEGULA: Leylah.

Q. Can you talk to me a bit about the challenge she is on a court? I know you beat her three times and she's beaten you. What's it like to play against her?

JESSICA PEGULA: Leylah is really tough to play against. 1, being a lefty is always tricky. I think she's really aggressive. She changes the direction of the ball really well, kind of hugs the baseline and hits a lot of good angles, isn't afraid to come in, is a good returner.

I know she's obviously a former finalist here, great results here. I feel like she played well here last year, losing to Aryna in a tough match. I think it's going to be very, very tough, for sure next round for both of us.

I think, yeah, she's tough to play. She plays a little bit unorthodox, likes to use her forehand and take the ball super early. When she's feeling it, it can be really tough to play against. I have had situations where I feel like I've played well against her and done well, but then sometimes if she's on and you start a little slow, she can really be super-aggressive and it's tricky to play against.

It's hard. And then, you know, on top of that, being a lefty and returning her serve I think is always another hard part. There is definitely some stuff I'm going to have to work on and address probably tomorrow, and then hopefully I'm able to play well against her in the next round. Yeah, she's going to be a very tricky opponent.

Q. It was posted the other day on Amanda's birthday on her locker with all her memes, kind of known as the Meme Queen. Do you have any greatest-of-all-time tennis memes you've seen on Twitter or other social media? What's your favorite?

JESSICA PEGULA: There's a lot. Hers are pretty good (smiling). I think Medvedev has got to have some good ones up there. I don't remember exactly which ones, but he definitely has a lot.

I can't really think of which ones specifically off the top of my head, but I think any expressive player -- I remember the one, actually, I think it was Aryna last year against Leylah where Leylah hit a winner, and the GIF is her just going (demonstrating), like she's trying to control her emotions as best she can.

I think those moments are really funny when people capture them and get creative with them. I think, what was the one, one recently of Amanda, it was like how I feel when I go to work. I think it's funny. It creates these really funny viral moments online.

I would definitely say I think Medvedev has got to be kind of my favorite character on court, so I think he has a lot of great ones.

Q. Can you talk about the challenge of generating energy early in a match where it's the first match of the day and the crowd is still kind of settling in and getting going?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, it is a bit different. It can be very different than first on at night or when a crowd is really full that day, or maybe the weather is kind of different and that can kind of take a part in it.

I would say, I don't know, I don't tend to draw off the crowd too much, as in like too much positive energy or too much negative energy. So for me, I'm really just focused on myself and kind of giving myself energy.

I'm one of those players that even though I do draw off the crowd, at the same time I don't kind of want to get too high, because then I feel like a crash a bit.

For me, it's more just giving energy to myself always, so maybe that's why I don't quite maybe use the crowd as much as other players. But it is tricky, especially it's not super full, and you just hear a lot of random noises, and especially on Ashe, you kind of hear everything.

Even when there's dead noise, there's still a buzz or a chatter or people talking and eating and laughing and all these different kind of emotions. So you really just have to do a good job of locking yourself in a bubble when you're out there.

I love being first on, so to me, it doesn't really matter what the crowd's doing. I'm just there to do my job and get in and get out as best I can.

Q. Building on that, she had the exact opposite where she was playing until 2:00 in the morning the other night. I know this comes up every year with the starts, but watching Zverev last night and Novak, you're seeing thousands of empty seats and players keep saying, Thanks for staying, but it seems like people aren't staying. Do you question more if this is still the right idea?

JESSICA PEGULA: I mean, yeah, I still wonder why people are there so late. It's just -- it's tough. I have been in that match before where I think even when I played, like, Muchova a few years ago, it was pretty empty because we were on late, and I think I played Shelby Rogers one year, and it was the same thing, kind of dead.

Yeah, I mean, I think it's just a scheduling thing. There is just so many matches, and I know they're dealing with a lot of different aspects as far as broadcast and TV and making sure certain matches get done and are starting at a certain time for those reasons, but you have to wonder if, yeah, it's really the right thing for players to be finishing at 2:00 a.m., especially when it's not -- like, I'm not watching on TV. I'm sleeping. Some people stay, but there is a lot of people that need to go home.

So, yeah, I definitely question whether there isn't just a better way or just starting an hour earlier or just something different. It's always tricky, especially for the woman doing the second night match, because the first is a men's and it could be two hours or five, and that just obviously is an unknown that you have to deal with.

Q. Another thing about the tournament. A couple days ago they announced the partnership with Kalshi, one of the prediction markets. I wanted to know what your thoughts are on the tournament announcing a partnership like that with a prediction market, and also, given that players are obviously not allowed to have partnerships, as well, with betting companies.

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, that's been a conversation I think that's been going on for a bit as far as, you know, players can't do anything off of a betting type of sponsorship, but the tournaments profit off of a lot of that stuff.

I don't know. It's a tricky question, because we get a lot of negativity from people that use stuff like that, from betters. Whether you win or lose, right? It doesn't even matter sometimes.

And we get a lot of hate for it on social media, so it's tough when you see that, and then they're a big sponsor behind the court or, you know, they're on TV.

It's tricky. I mean, I don't really know the best way to deal with it, just because it's kind of the inevitable. I mean, it's everywhere. There's not really going away, I think, any time soon, especially when I look at other sports. I mean, betting is a big part of keeping fans engaged. I don't know. I go back and forth with that one.

I don't know if it's just unfortunate or it's just the world that we're living in now, but I try to do my best to just not, yeah, I guess not deal with the negative sides of it as far as, like, betters and comments and social media stuff and just try and stay away from it.

But it is an interesting time where you're starting to see it creep in, especially now, more and more into tennis. Yeah, I don't know. I'm not sure.

Q. I'm writing a feature about American tennis culture for German media. Going back to Althea Gibson, I know she was a big topic here last year with the anniversary. If you look at American tennis today, yeah, diversity is just a daily norm, you can say, right. How much of that reality goes back straight to her with what she fought through? What does her story mean to you personally as an American player?

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, I mean, there is a lot behind that. I think she's just a historical figure in our sport, not just for women but I think our sport in general. I think she probably inspired many different diverse individuals to see that, like, hey, you can also play too.

I think when you look at that, you also wonder how much she inspired Serena and Venus who are now just, you know, like the two iconic figures of our sport, and how that inspired me. When I was younger, I always rooted for Venus and Serena when I watched them on TV.

It's crazy how, at least for me personally, I think as I have gotten older I have realized how important it is to inspire that next generation, because perspective-wise, you always go back to you when you were a kid, who did you look up to.

I remember getting my autograph with Lindsay Davenport, and now she's my Billie Jean King Cup captain. All these little things. Even Billie Jean, like, I know that I could text her or call her any time I wanted to.

So looking back at all these iconic figures, including Althea, and just seeing how they have inspired every single generation that's led to inspiring me, I think I just always have to keep that going as best I can whether it's talking to kids or signing those autographs, because you never really know who that next person is going to be.

You think it sounds kind of crazy, but it's not. I was one of those. I'm sure everyone else all the way from Althea was somebody that was a part of that. So to me, that is something that I've learned as I have matured and gotten older that I think is really, really important to the sport, because it's like if you're not playing for that, then what are you really doing?

So I always just feel like I responded much better feeling like I can give back to the sport, and I think I've learned that just through the great players. I think, yeah, one of them, probably the earliest person to really start that is someone like Althea and then maybe Billie Jean and all these people that have come before us and gave back so much to the sport.

Now you see the history they're still writing all these years later. Yeah, I think that's the legacy that you want to leave.