Pegula embraced the challenge of facing world No 1, but Sabalenka “kind of unstoppable”
Jessica Pegula fell to 2-7 lifetime against Aryna Sabalenka after Saturday’s Miami final. Pegula talked about her opponent’s dominance.
Jessia Pegula, Miami 2025
Many players on the WTA Tour have fallen victim to Aryna Sabalenka over the years. But not many know the feeling better than Jessica Pegula.
Pegula lost to Sabalenka for the seventh time on Saturday, when the Belarusian triumphed 7-5, 6-2 in the Miami Open final. Every one of the American’s last three losses have come in championship matches, having also succumbed to Sabalenka last summer in Cincinnati and at the US Open. Pegula has come out on the short end in seven of their last eight encounters — bringing her record to 2-7 in the head-to-head series — and all seven of her setbacks have come in straight sets.
In her post-match press conference Pegula talked about the challenge of facing Sabalenka.
I am getting a little annoyed with playing her…. it’s three titles. Come on.
“You have to embrace the challenge,” the world No 4 explained. “You have to embrace that they are the best player in the world for a reason, and if you want to win these big tournaments and big titles, you have to beat those types of players. Maybe not always because maybe they lose or something like that, but playing them in a final is a privilege, because you know if you do get that win, it’s even more special…. It feels like the last year Aryna — especially on the hard courts — has been kind of unstoppable virtually.
“I definitely like embracing that challenge, although I am getting a little annoyed with playing her. I don’t know if I would have won if I played someone else. But, man…it’s three titles. Come on.”
What makes Sabalenka so tough to play against? The world No 1’s power has always been well documented, but now both her serve and her all-court game have more variety. The added dimensions to her game are part of the reason why the 26-year-old has won three Grand Slams (all since the start of the 2023 season) and now eight WTA Premier 1000 titles.
Pegula is impressed, to be sure.
“I still feel there are other girls I have played where they hit harder, but I just think her first two balls are really good,” she explained. “She’s really good at being aggressive off the first ball and not letting you kind of dictate the point.
“I think her movement’s gotten a lot better, and then she added more slice, dropshots, she’s gotten kind of better at those intangible shots. If [the serve] is not maybe working, I think she definitely has two or three serves she can go to to help her start the point instead of always relying on a second serve the whole time.
“There [are] a lot of things she really does well. Everyone talks about her aggressive style of play, which is for sure, but she’s always kind of had that/ I think it’s more of her being able to mix in the other intangibles that makes her aggressive game play even more successful.”
