Jessica Pegula Reveals Mindset Behind Stunning Aryna Sabalenka with Bagel in Berlin

Jessica Pegula did what, about a couple of weeks ago, Diana Shnaider did to Aryna Sabalenka. On Saturday (June 20), the American ace handed a bagel to the Belarusian ace in their semifinal clash at the Berlin Open.

This helped Pegula improve her head-to-head record over Sabalenka to 4-9. After clinching the first set 6-4, Pegula couldn’t capitalize on her lead, with Sabalenka winning it through a tie-breaker, but surprisingly, the World No.1 won no games in the decider, losing the match with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0. During her on-court interview, Pegula revealed the mindset that helped her stun the four-time Grand Slam singles champion with a bagel.

That was high level. It’s really tough coming out and losing the tie-break. I feel like she came out and ripped a bunch of winners, and I just wanted to tell myself that I wanted to win it the hard way anyways. I guess I did.

In the recently concluded French Open, won by Mirra Andreeva by defeating Maja Chwalinska, Sabalenka fell in the quarterfinals with a three-set defeat to Shnaider. She, in fact, lost 10 games in a row and was bagelled in the third set. After the exit, a dejected Sabalenka said she had “no thoughts” and no “emotions”, that she wanted to “quit tennis” and smash everything.

I’m pretty laid back. I’m a pretty composed person. I like to take things in, and I’m very aware of what’s going on. So I don’t get super emotional, and I think that’s how I try to play. I just try to play true to myself. A lot of people used to tell me when I was younger that I needed to yell more and be jumping up and down. And honestly, it just feels like a waste of energy to me. So I try to just be myself out there, and that’s all that matters.

Jessica Pegula added

Had Sabalenka defeated the 32-year-old, she would have made the final of a grass-court event the third time in her career. Sabalenka has never lifted a title on grass. And also Wimbledon is the only Major where she has never made it past the semifinals.

Wimbledon starts on June 29, and Iga Swiatek will be competing as the defending champion. Last year in the final, the Pole double-bageled Amanda Anisimova, who knocked out Sabalenka in the semifinals.

Aryna Sabalenka calls Nikola Bartunkova a future superstar

Aryna Sabalenka was on the verge of defeat in the quarterfinals of the Berlin Open as Nikola Bartunkova took the first set off her and was on the verge of securing the biggest win of her career. But Sabalenka fought back in the second set and eventually clinched the match. Following the match, Sabalenka called the 20-year-old a future superstar.

She played incredible tennis. There wasn’t much I could do. She was hitting the ball with unbelievable power. An incredible level. I thought the match was hers. I didn’t know what to do… I came back in the second set by a miracle. My goodness, what a player! What an incredible girl! A future superstar, without a doubt.

Aryna Sabalenka said during the on-court interview

Sabalenka will not be competing in the Bad Homburg Open. She will next be seen in action at Wimbledon, where she will be chasing her fourth title of the season.

The three titles that Sabalenka lifted are the Brisbane International, Indian Wells, and the Miami Open. She also played the final of the Australian Open, but Elena Rybakina denied her the win. The last time Sabalenka won a Major was at the 2025 US Open by beating Anisimova.

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