Jessica Pegula has indirectly stated the issue Emma Raducanu has been having since her US Open victory in 2021.
Pegula has been a top 10 player since 2022, and she has even been ranked as highly as world number three.
However, the American has never won a Grand Slam title, with Pegula’s best result at a major coming when she reached the 2024 US Open final.
Following Pegula’s dominant 6-0, 6-0 win over Rebeka Masarova in Rome, she spoke about how she evaluates different careers and made a comment which appears to explain the issue Raducanu has been having.
Jessica Pegula has indirectly explained the issue Emma Raducanu has been having since her US Open win
After reaching the fourth round of the Italian Open, Pegula was asked about the importance placed on winning one Grand Slam title.
“I think that definitely some people feel a certain way,” Pegula said in her post-match press conference. “I think maybe to like an outside tennis fan that doesn’t watch that much, to them they’re probably just thinking you won a Grand Slam, great. They could have never won another match, they probably don’t realize it.
“If you talk to someone that’s, like, a pretty avid tennis fan, they’re like, ‘Oh, my God, she only won one slam, she didn’t do anything else’. Or the opposite: she didn’t win a slam, but she had an amazing career, I love watching her play, she won this tournament, but never got through. I think you see both sides of the spectrum.
“I think any player always wants a slam. I’d be curious to ask like, I don’t know, some of the girls that didn’t, maybe a [Karolina] Pliskova, a [Elina] Svitolina. They have like 30 titles. I don’t know if they would really exchange that for maybe one slam. I mean, it’s also, too, is it one slam or like you’re 100 in the world. I think there’s a lot of gray area there.”
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Pegula was then asked more personally about her own goals, to which she claimed that she would prefer to have her career without a major title, rather than be ranked around world number 50 and have a Grand Slam.
The 32-year-old then spoke about the struggles that players who have won one Grand Slam title at a young age have faced, with Pegula stating that she would not want to deal with that.
“Of course, I want to win a Grand Slam,” said Pegula. “I also think at the same time, like, I don’t know, I see some girls that have won one slam, then I feel like they struggle maybe outside of that.
“I mean, I honestly I think if it was only one slam I would still take my career than maybe being, like, ranked 50 and one slam. I don’t know. Maybe something like that. I think I fall somewhere in the middle.
“If I won one slam, I would be happy but maybe if I was a top-20 player where I feel like I still made a stable career, was putting up good results, because I think longevity… I think the goal’s always a slam.”
Pegula added, “Exactly. It’s not like you got lucky, you were just hot for two weeks, and that was it. That’s tough to deal with.
“Yeah, I just think when you see some of the girls who have, it’s hard to keep up like that pressure. It’s a lot of pressure. I’m not sure if I would have really loved having that, especially some of the ones that have won at a young age and stuff like that. That’s really hard to deal with. So yeah, I don’t know. I think it depends on those little things.”
There have been many WTA players who have won a Grand Slam title from a young age, with Raducanu perhaps the most high-profile of those after her 2021 US Open win, when she was just 18 years old.
Raducanu has been unable to surpass the fourth round of a Grand Slam since then, and has dealt with a lot of injuries and pressure since then.
This highlights the issue that Pegula is talking about, as Raducanu currently has achieved a greater thing than she has, but has not been able to get anywhere near to the same level of consistency.
Jessica Pegula could be one of the favorites to win the French Open
Pegula may not even have to debate whether she would rather win a Grand Slam or have her consistent and successful career on the WTA Tour.
The world number five is a former quarterfinalist at the French Open, and Pegula has already won a clay court title in Charleston this year.
Pegula may also be sensing an opportunity, given the recent frailties of some of her rivals, including world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who lost to Sorana Cirstea in Rome.
There are also still doubts over Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, with clay also being Elena Rybakina’s weakest surface.
This is all giving Pegula a better chance at the French Open this year, particularly as she still appears to be going under the radar somewhat.
Is Jessica Pegula going under the radar as a dark horse for the Roland Garros title this year? 🇺🇸
Pegula could also overtake Gauff in the rankings prior to the French Open, which would likely give her a better draw at the clay court major.
The next opponent standing in the way of Pegula is Anastasia Potapova, who she has won all five of her previous meetings against.
