Jessica Pegula admits it feels almost surreal that she is the highest-ranked player left in a Grand Slam event but she is not getting carried away.
Pegula sealed her place in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday with a 7-5, 6-2, win over former French Open champion Barbora Krejčíková. Making it the third year in a row she has reached the last eight at Melbourne Park. She has won more matches at the tournament than any other Grand Slam and recorded two out of her 11 wins over top-10 players at the event.
It is evident that the Australian Open has brought Pegula good fortune in recent years but now she faces a new challenge. After the exit of Ons Jabeur in round two and Iga Swiatek in round four, the 28-year-old heads the field as she chases after the biggest title of her career.
“It’s an interesting feeling. I still don’t really feel like that.” Pegula told reporters about being the highest-ranked player left in the draw.
“I look at the draw…you have (Elena) Rybakina who won Wimbledon last year, you have Vika (Azarenka) who does really well here, Caroline (Garcia) won the WTA Championships. It doesn’t really feel like I’m the highest left, even though I guess that’s a cool stat. It feels like there’s still a long way to go, to be honest.”
Pegula is very much a late bloomer on the Tour. 18 out of her 30 wins at major events have occurred since the start of 2022. To put that into perspective, she made her Grand Slam debut at the 2015 US Open. It was also last year when she cracked the top 10 for the first time and won her first WTA 1000 event in Guadalajara.
“I want to do more, achieve more. But I think sometimes you kind of have to stop and appreciate it because I feel like it goes by so fast,” she commented on her latest run.
“I think at the same time it’s nice to kind of enjoy it. I think you have to find those moments to help you stay present. All the hard work and stuff like that that I put in, this is why I’m here, that’s why I did that.”
Seeking a place in her first Grand Slam semi-final, Pegula believes she has found a winning combination with a rise in her form and more experience behind her.
“I have a great shot. Throughout the whole tournament, I’ve been playing the best I have than in any of my other Grand Slam quarterfinals. That I think helps.” She said.
“I think I feel more experience coming in here. I think my win today will give me a lot of confidence. But, again, it’s always a new day, a new match, new conditions, and new everything. You never know how you’re really going to feel.”
Should Pegula go on to win the Australian Open, it would be the second time in the past three years the women’s title has been won by the third seed. Naomi Osaka did so in 2021.
Pegula will play either Victoria Azarenka or Zhu Lin in the next round.
