After a hard-fought victory over Irina-Camelia Begu at the 2023 Charleston Open, Jessica Pegula admitted that she was tempted to break her rackets in the heat of the moment. Pegula, down 4-0 in the final set, showed great resilience to beat Begu 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 in a grueling two-and-a-half hour match on Thursday, April 6.
The top player expressed her frustration at losing ten consecutive games during her post-match interview, but also shared her pride in her performance and her ability to bounce back from a significant game.
Pegula said: “I have no idea, honestly. I don’t know at one point I was about to break all my rackets… I mean, I just tried to win a game, because I’ve lost consecutive ones… So I’m glad I managed to get there.”
Jessia Pegula will face Paula Badosa in her next match.
Pegula is now set to face number 12 seed Paula Badosa in the quarter-finals on April 7. The two players met in Miami last year, with Pegula winning 4-1 in the first set before Badosa was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Pegula achieved his best result at the Charleston Open, where he has made the R16 three times and the first round once. Her confidence in her abilities has grown significantly in recent years and she continues to create opportunities for herself and take risks every week.
Despite her impressive progress, the 29-year-old is not pushing herself to win a Grand Slam. She said: “I don’t think I’d be disappointed if I didn’t win.”