Jessica Pegula enjoyed yet another impressive run at the US Open this year, surprising many, including her coach, as she soared into the semi-finals.
However, as was the case around that time the year earlier, the American was thwarted by an unstoppable Aryna Sabalenka, this time losing in a tight three-set affair.
It was an enthralling match for the neutral, and ultimately was won by the supreme consistency and focus of the world number one.
In the run-up to this final Grand Slam of the year though, it felt like nobody was tipping Pegula for success in New York, despite her being a finalist in 2024.
Even her coach, Mark Knowles, has revealed that pre-tournament issues were a concern for them.
Jessica Pegula’s coach says lots of players have an issue with the tennis balls
And yet, despite that, she defied the odds.
Speaking on Tennis Channel, her co-coach has since revealed the struggles she felt whilst preparing for the US Open, whilst also detailing an issue that he thinks affected plenty of players on tour.
Knowles stated: “I mean, the balls have been probably the number one topic, the biggest issue for a lot of players, and it’s also been a concern for Jess in the summer.
“She felt like the balls were playing different week to week, you know, DC in Canada, even Cincinnati.
“She seemed to be very pleased with the balls at the US Open, and I think that’s been the discussion amongst most players, is that even though it’s the same brand, they’ve been finding that they’ve been playing different. They’ve been kind of different outside of the can.
“So, you know, I think I know from the ATP Tour standpoint, we’ve done a better job of using the same ball through certain swings. I’m sure the WTA is trying to do the same thing, but now it’s about getting consistency of the same brand of ball. But that’s just a tough one.
“It makes our job as coaches really hard, because obviously it’s tough if a player doesn’t feel the ball, and as you all know, if they’re on the desk, it’s, you know, these players play with so much feeling in their game that if that’s a little bit off, it can create some issues.”
It was not all bad for the 31-year-old after she lost in the semi-final, as Pegula revealed the gift she received after her defeat to Sabalenka.
Jessica Pegula’s head-to-head record with Aryna Sabalenka
Whilst Pegula pushed Sabalenka to the brink in New York earlier this month, it still ended up as another loss in their head-to-head record.
They have now faced one another ten times, with the Belarusian coming out on top on eight occasions.
What’s more worrying for Pegula is that she has not beaten Sabalenka since 2023, losing their last four meetings and taking just one set off her during that period.
The fact that her only other win over the current world number one came in 2020 means that, across a five-year period, the 2024 US Open finalist has beaten Sabalenka once.
Their most recent clash marked a huge step in the right direction, but this is a head-to-head that seems to be running away from Pegula.
