Jessica Pegula Admits She Misses ‘Fighting’ with Chair Umpires: “The Only Time I Show Emotion”

Jessica Pegula is currently participating in the Charleston Open, which got underway on March 30th. Pegula came from a set down to knock out Yulia Putintseva 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 to reach the round of 16.

She also recently sat down for an interview with Andrea Petkovic and Alison Riske-Amritraj for an episode of The Big T Podcast. Among other things, the American ace talked about her fights with the chair umpires, saying that she misses arguing with the chair umpires over line calls due to the electronic line-calling system, because it used to help her release tension.

I kind of do. It’s like the only time I feel like I show emotion. So I’ve gotten mad at umpires before. Like, I don’t really get mad at like the player or myself, well sometimes myself or my team, but like I kind of miss fighting with them a little bit.

Jessica Pegula said

Pegula has developed a reputation for her composed demeanor on the court. While growing up, she was urged by her then-coaches as well as her parents to show emotions because, according to them, Pegula looked like she did not care.

Jessica Pegula had a panic moment during her Charleston Open match against Yulia Putintseva

Jessica Pegula has been enjoying decent form this season as she reached the semifinals of the Brisbane International and the Australian Open before ending her title drought at the Dubai Tennis Championships by defeating Elina Svitolina in the final. After skipping the ATX Open, she played the two Sunshine Double events.

Eventual runner-up Elena Rybakina knocked her out in the quarterfinals in Indian Wells. At the Miami Open as well, the Kazakh ace eliminated her in the last four. Pegula then survived a scare at the Charleston Open against Yulia Putintseva and admitted during her interview with Tennis Channel that she had a panic moment during the match.

I had a little panic moment at the beginning of the second because I felt like nothing was working. I knew the patterns she was playing against me, but I couldn’t quite solve it. I was missing a lot of the balls to execute certain patterns for myself. I think I just committed a little bit more.

The win has helped the 32-year-old improve her head-to-head record over the Kazakh ace to 4-0. The first seed will next be locking horns with 14th seed Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who knocked out Yue Yuan.

I started returning better and being more aggressive with my returns, which was setting me up in the point a lot better. I didn’t really serve that great throughout the whole match, but I did find a little bit better serving spots, which I think helped me not get in trouble to start the point… But she was playing perfectly. She was hanging tough.

Jessica Pegula added

Last year, the 2024 US Open finalist reached six finals and lifted three titles: at the ATX Open, Charleston Open, and the Bad Homburg Open. In Charleston, Pegula defeated Sofia Kenin to win her career’s first clay-court title.

Pegula has so far played two finals on clay. Last year on the clay swing, after her Charleston Open win, she lost in the quarterfinals of the Stuttgart Open and suffered a third-round exit at the Madrid Open. At the Italian Open as well, Pegula failed to progress beyond the third round. After her opening-round exit in Strasbourg, she lost to Lois Boisson in the fourth round of the French Open.

The 10-time WTA singles titlist has reached one final in a WTA 1000 event on clay. Back in 2022, she lost the Madrid Open title to Ons Jabeur.

Also read: Oleksandra Oliynykova Refuses Handshake With Russian-Born Polina Kudermetova in Charleston 

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