Jessica Pegula has been one of tennis’ least fortunate players in recent years, with her injury record reading almost as painfully as her performances in Grand Slams.
Clearly an elite-level player, there is something about the quarter-finals that she just cannot overcome, having never surpassed that stage at any of the four majors.
However, she will arguably never get a better chance than this summer in New York, with the US Open impossible to predict.
Not to mention the blistering form she is gathering ahead of the event.
Jessica Pegula provides an injury update
Having suffered through a horror bout of injuries, which has ruled her out of so many tournaments in recent years, at last we are seeing a nice run of form and fitness from Jessica Pegula.
She capped off her fine return to action in Toronto last week, defending her Canadian Open title, and now faces another great chance to add the Cincinnati Open to her trophy cabinet ahead of the US Open too.
However, before that, she provided the following injury update, telling Tennis Channel: ‘Tired. I am definitely tired. I’m not going to lie. If anyone thought I was fresh after three matches in like 24 hours – definitely not! But it’s good though actually.
‘It’s funny with my trainer before not playing a lot, he was like I think you are used to have a lot of match cardio, and I felt my match cardio was down. But this week I think has been good, getting all these matches in, is getting that match play in when I needed and then I will have a week before the US Open to relax again so I think in the long run it is going to really help me.’
Ahead of that final Grand Slam of the year, one pundit has predicted who will go further in the US Open out of Coco Gauff and Pegula.
Jessica Pegula has to overcome an equally in-form Paula Badosa
Today marks the battle of two players who have enjoyed remarkable peaks of their careers thus far, but also suffered with unrelenting injury turmoil as well.
Few have been as hamstrung as Paula Badosa, who is also enjoying a nice run of form at the moment, having won in Washington and now with her eyes set on this title.
The winner of this semi-final will have the pleasure of facing one of Aryna Sabalenka or Iga Swiatek, who also play today.
With a career-high ranking of second and third respectively, Badosa and Pegula were once some of the best players on the planet.
However, the two have actually only ever met on the court twice, with the latter coming out on top both times.
Today’s match is far harder to call though, and it honestly could come down to who has the most fitness in the bank after a busy but supremely rewarding past month.
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