Will Jessica Pegula bring her second Masters home? Although it wasn’t a lucky day for the 20-year-old Coco Gauff, Pegula is gearing herself to take revenge for her as she will face Diana Shnaider. Besides her ongoing campaign in Toronto, another one is already determined at the Cincinnati Open, bringing notable challenges after her quest for title defense.

The draws for the Cincinnati Open have been released, and Pegula is set to face a tough journey ahead. As the table suggests, her opening round will see her up against either Karolína Muchová or Dayana Yastremska, as she will be starting her campaign directly from the R32. Even if the American manages to get through this, she will then face a potentially tricky match against either Caroline Dolehide, Daria Kasatkina, or Ekaterina Alexandrova in the R16.

The path becomes even more challenging as Pegula moves ahead, as a possible quarter-final match-up against either Elena Rybakina or Diana Shnaider will await her entry. Rybakina has enjoyed a consistent season so far, backed by a quarter-final at Roland Garros, semi-finals in Madrid along with the enormous victory in Stuttgart, and a runner-up finish in Miami. 

While there’s still some time for the Cincinnati Open to begin, Pegula is already making her mark at the Canadian Open. She overcame tough conditions and a slow start to defeat 20-year-old Ashlyn Krueger, 6-4, 6-2, and eventually secured a spot in the quarter-finals. Despite the 70 unforced errors between her and Krueger due to windy conditions and a rain delay, the 30-year-old managed to stay consistent.

“It wasn’t the greatest tennis from either of us. I just tried to compete, mix in some slices… and not overplay too much. It definitely was tough out there, and I just did what I could to try and get through,“ Pegula said in a post-match interview. Shnaider, fresh off her impressive win over world No. 2 Gauff at the Canadian Open, could also pose a tough challenge because of her confidence.

Pegula’s performance at the Canadian Open and her potential match-ups at the Cincinnati Open make it clear that she’s ready for the challenges ahead. To improve her chances of winning, she is looking to improve her run in singles.

Jessica Pegula lays weight off her schedule as her regular doubles partner loses interest

Pegula could possibly focus more on her singles Tour after the Paris Olympics setback. Although everyone from Team USA tried their best to earn a medal for the nation, both Pegula and Gauff faced disappointing defeats in their singles and doubles campaigns. While the 30-year-old quickly dropped the weight of regret from her shoulders to focus on the hard court season, but Gauff couldn’t manage the same.

Pegula participated in the doubles category in Toronto alongside Giuliana Olmos. When asked about her partner’s absence, she said, “For me, I’m not sure. I know Coco doesn’t really, isn’t interested in playing, or at least I’m not, we’re not thinking of playing, so I probably will take it easy on the doubles the rest of the year, so, yeah, we’ll see.”

While Pegula was quite comfortable with Gauff, her loss of interest in the doubles category could possibly lead to the decline of the 30-year-old’s doubles participation, eventually allowing her to be more focused in singles.