Charleston Open: Jessica Pegula Throws New Coach ‘Under the Bus’ for Her Nightmarish Tussle Against Victoria Azarenka

“I was playing great..Ahh..this can be really bad.” Remarked Jessica Pegula as she maintained her springtime comeback by defeating Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7), advancing into the Charleston semifinals. While the initial set of the match was in favor of Pegula, Azarenka took over in the second set. Although Pegula came back with new energy in the third and won the overall match, she later pointed at her new coach Mark Knowles, for jinxing her initial form on the court.

Jessica Pegula appointed her new coach, Mark Knowles, in the last month itself. However, their partnership extends beyond their professional commitments on the court. After her victory in the Charleston Open on Friday, she playfully blamed her new coach for ruining the advantages she was having during the first set.

“I wanted to shoot him,” says Jessica Pegula about her new coach

Jessica Pegula had her opponent struggling to make points during the first set with a score of 6-4. But soon after, Azarenka geared up and won the second set. When asked about the reason for not being able to win in the second set, Pegula jokingly said, “I was playing great..Ahh..this can be really bad, but I am gonna throw Knowles under the bus. I haven’t even talked to him yet. But it was like set 3 and 1, and she was like, She hasn’t gone wide.”

She continued by saying, “And then she literally went wide three or four times in that game. And I wanted to shoot him like a look.” Her statement underscores their friendship and the way they can tease each other even amid the seriousness of the game.

Also read: Charleston Open: Hyperventilating Jessica Pegula Drops an Unfiltered Reaction to Her Nerve Wrecking Battle Royale

After parting ways with coach David Witt following the Australian Open, the top seed has been unable to regain her previous form since the beginning of 2024. However, after this win against Azarenka, her fans are waiting to see her back in form. Pegula herself admitted the “rollercoaster” of emotions that she felt during the game with Victoria Azarenka.

Pegula has “no idea” what happened at the end of the game

Jessica Pegula’s match with Azarenka was full of dramatic twists and turns. She herself confessed about the rollercoaster of emotions that she felt throughout the game. Although she managed to conquer the third set of the game, before that, she admitted to not being confident enough to win the game.

Jessica said, “I was trying to stay focused in order to win. I don’t know, at the end, honestly, I don’t know what happened. I have no idea, zero idea.” It implied the intensity that built up at the end of the game where she showed her incredible prowess on-court.

Pegula, who has never won a WTA clay court crown, will now be qualifying for the semifinals of the Charleston Open 2024. There, she will be fighting the World No.8, Daria Kasatkina. Fans are waiting to see her next performance at the Charleston Open.

Read more: Nervousness Grips Buffalo Bills’ Heiress Jessica Pegula as She Keeps Mum on Stefon Diggs’ Houston Trade