A wave of emotions washed over American tennis star Jessica Pegula as she arrived in New York for the Garden Cup this week.
The U.S. Open may have ended nearly three months ago, but being back in town has brought Pegula back to the feeling she had during the grueling three-week run to her first Grand Slam final.
“It's very strange. I feel like I was just here,” Pegula said Tuesday ahead of her exhibition match against fellow American Emma Navarro at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. “Coach came here and I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m back again.’ … It’s kind of funny just the stress and everything and the chaos of those three weeks, and then it goes right back to town. I can feel it coming.”
Pegula, now 30, has been a professional for 15 years and has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
If anything, Pegula's dominant play this summer and at the U.S. Open only encouraged her and reminded her that she still has much left to give to the tennis world.
Pegula suffered a series of injuries before making the leap in the summer.
Pegula missed the Middle East Swing in February with a neck injury, but after a brief return, he suffered a rib injury in April and wasn't quite the player he knew.
She decided to miss the European clay season.
Pegula was eager to get back on the court after experiencing the longest hiatus from tennis since the pandemic.
About the magic of Madison Square Garden. NBAE (via Getty Images)
“It doesn’t make me second-guess myself, but it just makes me anxious,” she said. “If you think, 'I just want to get out there,' you see everyone else playing and everyone else is doing well. …Everyone is ahead of me and I'm behind. I feel like it's taking away from me.”
But that vacation may have been just what Pegula needed. She came back healthy.
Pegula defended her title at the Canadian Open in early June, was runner-up at the Cincinnati Open in August, and then moved on to the US Open, where she ultimately lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
“I just competed really well.” [this year] And I'm always very proud to compete,” Pegula said. “The stretch I was able to accomplish over the summer was unlike anything I had ever done in my career at any level.”
Pegula, who is ranked No. 7 in the World Tennis Association world rankings, played in the Rangers-Devils game at the Garden on Monday.
As she received an ovation after the video board played highlights of her thrilling victory over Karolina Muchova in the semifinals of the U.S. Open during a pause in play, she realized how much the New York sports crowd It made me realize how special it is.
“The crowd in New York is totally different,” said Pegula, the daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabers owner Terry Pegula. “When I made it to the finals, it was really cool that they were already excited about that moment, which I thought was really cool.
“So I definitely have a lot of special memories for me.”
The same can be said for 23-year-old Navarro. He notably defeated defending U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff in the fourth round at this year's tournament before losing in the semifinals.
“it is [cool] “I want to come back to this city and remember my experience at the US Open,” said Navarro, who is ranked No. 8 in the world. “Let's put on a little show in a more relaxed atmosphere.” [at the Garden Cup]I think that's really exciting. ”
