Jessica Pegula began her professional tennis journey with a significant advantage over many of her peers. In a sport as expensive as elite tennis, her family’s wealth provided her with unrestricted access to equipment and expert knowledge. However, her success story is more about perseverance than privilege.
At 22, Pegula was still struggling to break into the top 150, competing on the ITF circuit while trying to establish herself. She did not crack the top 100 until just before her 25th birthday in early 2019. Her ascent was not marked by an overnight breakthrough but rather by persistent effort and resilience over the years. Now, she is a veteran top-10 player, recognized for her consistency and dependability.
In Miami, Pegula will face Emma Raducanu in what is shaping up to be the best tournament of Raducanu’s career since her remarkable US Open victory in 2021. After securing a win against top-10 American player Emma Navarro, Raducanu now has the chance to test herself against a well-established competitor in her first WTA 1000 quarter-final.
Although Raducanu enters the match as an underdog, she has no reason to be intimidated. Their previous encounters have been close. Pegula claimed victory in their first hard-court match at the Cincinnati Open in 2022, winning in two competitive sets. However, Raducanu evened the score last summer in Eastbourne, where she triumphed in three grueling sets to earn her first top-10 win.
The two players share several similarities. Both employ compact, fluid strokes, possess strong two-handed backhands, and exhibit excellent timing to take the ball early, applying pressure on opponents. They also excel at returning serves aggressively. However, Pegula has demonstrated a greater ability to harness these skills consistently over an extended period.
Pegula thrives on fast courts and is particularly adept at neutralizing her opponents’ power. Raducanu’s challenge will be to strike a balance between playing assertively and disrupting Pegula’s rhythm by varying the pace and trajectory of her shots. She has effectively used her backhand slice and defensive play to frustrate opponents throughout the tournament, but Pegula represents a higher level of competition.
Raducanu’s progress can be attributed to several factors, including improvements to her serve, forehand, and movement. Her physical endurance has also visibly improved, a result of three months of intensive training with her new fitness coach, Yutaka Nakamura. Unlike past tournaments where injuries and fitness concerns hampered her performance, she now appears stronger and more durable.
While fortune played a part in her recent victories opponents Amanda Anisimova and McCartney Kessler struggled with physical issues Raducanu capitalized on these opportunities. She maintained composure and refused to let struggling opponents regain control, a testament to her growing confidence and resilience.
At 22, Raducanu can draw valuable lessons from Pegula’s career. Tennis success is a long-term pursuit, with different players peaking at different times. Some achieve greatness early, while others require years of effort to reach their potential. Despite facing significant setbacks since her US Open triumph, Raducanu’s commitment to competing regularly this year is paying dividends. Even as she endured a series of tough losses, she continued to persevere, and now, she is beginning to see results.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic advanced to the men’s quarter-finals in Miami with a dominant victory over Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, winning 6-2, 6-2 on a rain-affected day. The six-time champion will next face Sebastian Korda of the US, who is seeded 24th.
