Jessica Pegula has had a season full of ups and downs. While the results were not up to the mark during the first half of the year, she outshined her opponents during the North American swing. However, after an amazing run at the US Open, she eventually had to face a disappointing defeat in the final against Aryna Sabalenka. Now with another big opportunity at the WTA Finals, Pegula is oozing confidence.

Jessica Pegula enters the 2024 WTA Finals with a determined mindset and is ready to face some of the top players in the world. Reflecting on her past experiences at the prestigious tournament, she shared valuable insights into how those experiences shaped her approach. “Yeah, I mean, I have had, yeah, two very opposite experiences. Obviously the first one not so great. The second one was pretty good,” Pegula explained.

Pegula’s debut at the WTA Finals did not go as planned, but her second appearance showed significant improvement. She highlighted how the contrasting conditions played a huge role. Last year, the tournament was held outdoors, an aspect that added more challenges but was handled well by Pegula. “The conditions were obviously completely different last year playing outside. There were a lot of other variables which I think I was able to handle really well,” she noted.

This year, the tournament is indoors again just like 2022, but Pegula feels better prepared for what lies ahead. “Coming here, you kind of know what you’re going to get. It’s inside. It definitely caters to big servers,” she said. Pegula is relieved to have avoided most of the tour’s powerful servers in her group. “I think I was able to avoid most of them in my group (smiling),” she added.

Pegula’s group is full of top talents like Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Barbora Krejcikova. However, the US Open finalist still remains optimistic, knowing that she has previously defeated all these three players. “I feel at least I’ve won, beaten all of them in my group. It doesn’t mean I’m going to beat them this week, but it gives me a little confidence that I’m familiar playing them, able to get wins over them as well,” she shared.

Pegula highlighted the importance of executing her game plan and staying mentally strong as every match in this tournament would be against a top competitor. “People always say every group is tough ’cause it’s the best players in the world, so… It’s going to be just a challenge I think mentally probably the most, trying to figure out what you have to do to beat the best players in the world,” Pegula explained.

Talking about Pegula’s head-to-head record against Coco Gauff, in a total of 5 matches played against each other, she has managed to take down Gauff 4 times, with one of the wins coming this season itself. Pegula has also managed to take down Iga Swiatek for a total of 4 times out of the 10 matches played between the two. One of her wins against Swiatek came recently at the US Open quarter-finals.

Jessica Pegula’s motive is clear as she heads into the WTA Finals. She is going to use her past experiences while trying to get the better of world’s best players. However, despite being confident, Pegula has decided not to stress herself with a heavy schedule.

Jessica Pegula withdraws from the Billie Jean King Cup

World No. 6 Jessica Pegula has decided to withdraw from next month’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Spain. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) confirmed her absence on Wednesday. The USTA announced that Ashlyn Krueger would step in to fill the spot. Pegula was the highest-ranked player in the American squad and her withdrawal is likely to impact the squad. The USTA did not disclose the reason for Pegula’s decision to step away, and Reuters reported that their request for more details remained unanswered. Pegula’s absence will surely be felt as she was set to lead the team.

Currently preparing for the WTA Finals in Riyadh from November 2-9, Jessica Pegula’s last appearance was recorded in Wuhan where she faced an early exit in the third round against Wang Xiyu of China. Despite the setback in the singles, she later made it to the doubles final.

Talking about the BJK Cup, the US will face Slovakia and the winner will advance to the quarterfinals. Currently ranked No. 65 in singles and No. 64 in doubles, Krueger, the replacement for Pegula, will join the US team that includes Danielle Collins, Peyton Stearns, Taylor Townsend, and Caroline Dolehide.

Do you think Pegula’s absence will impact USA’s performance in the Billie Jean King Cup? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.