Jessica Pegula explains what would really ‘suck’ about the WTA Finals that she was ‘not happy’ about 

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Jessica Pegula is set to headline the Wuhan Open as the second seed after losing to Paula Badosa in Beijing.

A year of totally contrasting fortunes for the US Open runner-up has given Jessica Pegula further licence to exercise her dry-humour.

In Wuhan for the first time since 2019, where she won just a single game in her first round match to Polona Hercog, the American is sure to make it at least a little further this time.

A tournament absent from the WTA calendar since the Covid-19 pandemic, her US Open conqueror Aryna Sabalenka is technically looking to complete the hat-trick having won in both 2018 and 2019.

Now set for a spot in the WTA Finals after winning the last 17 of her 20 matches, it nearly wasn’t to be for Pegula. 

Jessica Pegula says she was initially ‘not happy’ about her WTA Finals hopes

Known for her consistency and bruising ball-striking, both abandoned her earlier in the year.

A painful mid-season coaching switch and nagging neck injury put her prospects of a third straight WTA Finals appearance in doubt.

After Wimbledon, Pegula was 19th in the race for Riyadh and her hopes looked all but dashed.

“I’m not really one to look at points or what it takes to defend them every week, but the one thing that was kind of a bummer a few months ago was that you have to qualify for the WTA Finals to be able to defend the points,” last year’s runner-up to Iga Swiatek explained to Tennis.com. 

“So I was thinking, ‘That’s going to suck to not have a chance to defend any of it.’ I was not too happy about that and was a little down about it.”

The world number three however is cruising now and sits in sixth.

Who does Jessica Pegula play at the Wuhan Open?

Pegula has enjoyed a mixed Asian Swing so far after what was a truly dominant North American one.

She became the first woman in 20 years to win back-to-back titles in Toronto, finished runner-up at the Cincinnati Open the following week, before reaching her first Grand Slam final at the US Open

Her time in Beijing however finished with an almighty thud as Badosa ran away with their fourth-round tie 6-4, 6-0.

Having received a first-round bye, the second seed is set to face either Anastasia Potapova, who she’s never lost to in their four meetings, or compatriot Katie Volynets, an opponent she’s yet to face.