Jessica Pegula has continued her impressive run of form after reaching the Indian Wells quarterfinals for just the second time in her career.
Pegula had relatively struggled at Indian Wells in the past, as she had only won eight of her 15 previous matches at the tournament.
However, after Pegula won the Dubai Tennis Championships last month, she has continued her winning streak at Indian Wells.
Pegula has beaten Jelena Ostapenko and Belinda Bencic to reach the Indian Wells quarterfinals, and after beating the latter she spoke about how she has enjoyed the better results of her career in her thirties.
Jessica Pegula does not want to have regrets when she retires
Pegula did not break into the top 50 until 2021, just before her 27th birthday, and she has gone from strength to strength ever since.
The American has been a top 10 player ever since June 2022, with Pegula reaching the US Open final in 2024 and winning four WTA 1000 titles in that time.
With Pegula currently the world number five at 32 years old, she is now the oldest WTA player ranked inside the top 30.
| Jessica Pegula before turning 27 | Jessica Pegula after turning 27 | |
| Career-high ranking | No.43 | No.3 |
| Titles Won | 1 | 10 |
| Best Grand Slam Result | Quarterfinal (Australian Open 2021) | Final (US Open 2024) |
After beating Bencic 6-3, 7-6(5), to reach the Indian Wells quarterfinals, Pegula was asked about the unique development she has had in her career.
Pegula attributed a lot of her recent success to her willingness to always want to try new things, even if it does scare some coaches in case it does not work out as planned, stating that she does not want to have any regrets when she retires.
“Yeah, I think I have said before too, I was so injured for, like, my early 20s that I do feel like in a way I don’t have those years kind of added onto my career,” Pegula said in her post-match press conference. “I wasn’t really on tour playing that much from maybe 20 to 24.
“I had a couple of surgeries, I was rehabbing, I was hurt. So I do feel like not having those years on me maybe is why I don’t necessarily feel old (smiling).
“But I think right now I’m just very open to learning, I’m always very open to trying new things. I think one of the strengths I have as an athlete is probably being able to change something and implement it very quickly.
“I think that’s something too even my coaches now have kind of seen over the last couple years. I was very open to trying to figure things out, how do I get things better, watching other players, watching what players do really well, and trying to implement certain things into my game and seeing if I can do the same thing.
“Sometimes that can be scary I think for coaches because they don’t necessarily want to change too much, you don’t want to change your game completely and then be upset when it doesn’t work out.
Who will win a Grand Slam title first?
“I’m definitely one where I can pick up things very quickly, and we have been able to change some things that aren’t major that maybe the fans or people can’t necessarily exactly pinpoint.
“But it’s definitely stuff we have been working on, and I have been able to implement it into my game over the last couple years really quickly, and not afraid to kind of fail and try different things, whether it’s with my serve or my forehand or my slice or different strategies.
“I think that, in a way, has kept my brain kind of just always working and problem-solving. That’s just how I play my best tennis, that’s how I feel like I’m getting better, that’s how I enjoy playing tennis. I always want to feel like I’m learning and I’m trying things.
“I never want to feel like when I retire that I wish I would have tried this on my serve or this string on, you know, this racquet, or whatever the case may be.
“I think that’s probably my strength as a player and just how I kind of look at, you know, my career and how I’m still improving, even at my age (smiling).”
Pegula has already confirmed her retirement plan, suggesting that the LA Olympics in 2028 are a target of hers before she stops competing.
Jessica Pegula explains why she thinks she was finally able to beat Belinda Bencic
Not only does Pegula appear to have figured out the courts at Indian Wells, but she has also beaten Bencic for the first time.
Pegula had lost all four of her previous matches against Bencic in straight sets, with the most recent taking place in 2023.
When asked about this, Pegula cited the improvements she has made to her game as the key reason why she was able to beat Bencic.
“I think I’m a much better player now, but I also think that tactically I definitely changed some stuff,” answered Pegula. “I serve much better now, which helps me out not feeling so much pressure with her returning, because she’s a really good returner.
“I think tactically I don’t want to totally give away what I have been doing, but there was definitely some stuff that I have seen that I’ve gotten better at that I’m able to adapt to in a point that I’m able to just think a little bit clearly and more quicker out there.
“That just, I think, helped me get the win today. It wasn’t anything crazy, but I do feel like there is a certain way and a certain pattern that maybe worked better that I wasn’t thinking about the last few times I played her.”
Should there be a fifth Grand Slam?
If so, which tournament would it be?
Pegula will now look to match a Maria Sharapova record, as she looks to reach her eighth consecutive tournament semifinal and first at Indian Wells.
However, standing in her way is Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, who beat Pegula in Melbourne and has won her last three matches against the American to take a 4-3 lead in their head-to-head.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
