Jessica Pegula loves to play at the Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. The Miami Dolphins of the National Football League and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami’s NCAA Division I college football team, which has won five national championships since 1983, both call Hard Rock Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium with a 64,767-seat capacity, home.
This makes it really special for the World No. 3 as her parents are proud owners of NFL team Buffalo Bills. Hence, whenever she comes to the Miami Gardens, for the WTA 1000 tournament, the Miami Open, she feels like playing on home turf.
In the recent press interaction with journalists on the sidelines of the Miami Open, when she was asked about her feelings coming into this competition, she emphasized upon what all she loves in the Hard Rock Stadium.
“It definitely goes under a little transformation come around this time of year than when I’m usually here during football season. The hallways still feel quite similar, it’s just obviously there’s an NFL game going on. I think it’s a cool, I mean, atmosphere. I think it’s pretty cool to have a tennis stadium inside of the stadium. I think it’s something we don’t usually get to see, so I think it’s something different for this week,” she said.
“Again, kind of adds to, like, the Miami vibe, the flair a little bit. I like having the field out where everyone is playing games and relaxing, warming up. I think it’s a nice contrast coming from Indian Wells, which we all know is amazing. It’s more Miami. I think it’s fun. I live close to here. I’m used to the conditions. Everything kind of feels like home to me. Driving back and forth…” she continued.
Jessica Pegula talked about her love for American football and how Miami is an important place in her reckoning.
“But, yeah, obviously football, it’s a little bit different. We usually pull up, like, the same area and walk in.Yeah, I’ve been here quite a bit. Usually the only games I get to go to are, like, the Miami home games. For the Bills it’s an away game. Yeah, I do the same thing. I drive to Hard Rock Stadium and I get to walk through the hallway, I go up to the suite and I watch,” she further added.
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Jessica Pegula makes it to the third round of the Miami Open 2023
The American tennis professional is playing in both the singles and doubles disciplines of this WTA Masters tournament. Last time, when she played in this competition, she made it to the semi-finals round. However, she in this match she lost to eventual champion Iga Swiatek.
This time Jessica Pegula wants to improve her record here. She has also made a strong start in the singles event beating Canada’s Katherine Sebov in the first round and Danielle Collins in the second round respectively. She will take on Magda Linette in the third round of the Miami Open.
She along with Coco Gauff has made it to the second-round of the competition by beating Brenda Fruhvirtova and Linda Fruhvirtova in the first round. The all-American pair will face American-Kazakh pair of Asia Muhammad and Anna Danilina.
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