Having missed the whole European clay campaign with a rib injury, former world no. 3 Jessica Pegula revealed she would’ve returned had Roland Garros begun a week later. Nonetheless, she embraced Iga Swiatek’s brilliance on clay and the American returned to court with a straight-sets victory over powerful qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich at this year’s Libema Open in the Netherlands.
Pegula: Iga dominated clay, what’s new?
- Encouraging: Pegula told WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen she’s been healthy for “a few weeks” and would’ve made her return at the French Open for the year’s second Major, had the start date been a week later
- New ground! Highly-rated American memorably reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time last summer, losing a painful three-set encounter from 4-1 up against eventual champion Marketa Vondrousova
- Pegula welcomes the impending grind: “I know in the long-term I can play at a high level and don’t need to play to feel like a top player, but when you see all those people going ahead of you, you do freak out a little bit. I still have major anxiety that I’ve missed so many WTA 1000s this year.”
JESSICA Pegula needed just shy of an hour to ease past Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich with a 6-2, 6-2 victory on her return from injury at this year’s Libema Open as her assimilation to the grass surface resumes once more.
The tournament’s top seed, 30, sounded itchy-but-indifferent after watching others from the sidelines rehabbing a lingering rib injury as world no. 1 Iga Swiatek swept up the acclaim during another busy clay-court season which saw Pegula’s younger compatriot and doubles partner Coco Gauff reach a new career-high #2 ranking.
The four-time French Open champion, who turned 23 late last month, withdrew from next week’s Berlin event citing fatigue after an intense nine-week period and the former world no. 3 isn’t surprised by what she’s been missing out on through injury.
“Now we go into grass, I’m sure the grass-court players will do well – feel like I’m walking back into the same kind of thing. I’m going to play two extra weeks on grass now, so hopefully can do well and make up some points or at least gain confidence, then be ready to go for the rest of the year.”
Twelve months ago, Pegula lost to her doubles partner and 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff in their Eastbourne quarterfinal before suffering a painful second week defeat by eventual titlist Vondrousova at Wimbledon’s quarter-finals – having led 4-1, 40-30 with a point for a double break lead in the deciding set.
It’ll be interesting to see how she fares on grass this time around, having already been confirmed as part of a five-woman squad for Team USA at the Paris Olympics next month where she’ll partner Gauff once more in doubles play while looking to medal in singles – eventual champion Belinda Bencic toppled her in Tokyo.
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes hyperlinked
Mo and Sports 