Jessica Pegula shared what she said to Amanda Anisimova after beating her to win the Canadian Open.
The World number six commenced her return to hard courts in excellent fashion as she won the WTA 1000 tournament for the second successive year.
She took on her American compatriot Anisimova, who defeated the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Navarro and Daria Kasatkina on the way to competing in her first final at this level.
The 22-year-old played her best tennis of the season to reach the championship match, and was left emotional after coming up short against her more experienced and higher-ranked opponent.
What did Jessica Pegula say to Amanda Anisimova after the Canadian Open final?
After one hour and 27 minutes Jessica Pegula roared with delight as she won her second straight Canadian Open title.
Pegula and Anisimova embraced one another at the net as the 30-year-old claimed her third successive win against her most recent opponent.
The new World number 49 was overcome with emotion during the post-match presentation and during her post-match press conference, Pegula explained what she told Anisimova at the net once the match had concluded.
“I just told her she had a great week and she said congrats, great match,” the two-time Canadian Open champion told reporters.
“It wasn’t anything more than that. We have spoken a little bit here and there and what she said and what I said on court speaks for itself, but I wasn’t expecting a ton of words from her, she’s pretty shy and keeps to herself.
“That’s fine – it’s how she is. But I just told her great week, I knew she was going to be upset, I don’t need to say anything else.
“I was happy I won and I’m sure she wanted a different result. But when we did our speeches we said what we needed to say and I have a lot of respect for her name.”
What is Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova’s head-to-head record?
Pegula and Anisimova have now played one another on three occasions.
Their first meeting came at the 2020 Cincinnati Open, which was held at the US Open tennis complex due to the coronavirus pandemic. Pegula claimed a 7-5, 6-2 win.
Their next contest did not come until the 2024 Charleston Open, and it was a much closer contest. Anisimova took the first set but Pegula battled back to win 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3).
Their Canadian Open contest also went three sets, this time Pegula took the first set, before Anisimova fought back. But Pegula used her experience to reset and upped her aggression before completing a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 victory.
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