How Jessica Pegula beats the grind of the WTA Tour

Tennis News

James Richardson
June 29, 2023

Jessica Pegula has opened up on the struggles of being a top player on the WTA Tour.

Pegula said that being on the WTA Tour can become monotonous.

She says that she tries to counter this by getting out and enjoying the cities that she gets to visit.

“To help overcome those feelings, I try to do wander around the cities and see some of the tourist sights. I had spare time in Rome so I did a lot of things with my sister, who came over for the first time,” Pegula wrote in her BBC column.

“We went shopping, walked and toured everywhere. She wanted to see the sights.

“In Rome, we went to see the Colosseum and Pantheon and all the other key things. We walked the city a lot and headed to a few restaurants because she likes to find all the foodie spots.

“Then we went to Milan for two days to break up the trip before I came here for Paris.

“We took a train from Rome which was fun, we don’t have a lot of trains in America so it was nice to see a new city by hopping on the train for a couple of hours.

“We also did a lot of shopping in the area around the Duomo, which was really pretty.

“I’m not the kind of tourist who takes loads of photos, but I love wandering around and finding cool restaurants or cute coffee spots.

“In Italy there is lot of great coffee and here in Paris there are lots of nice bakeries.

“Wherever you are in the world, I think you have to leave the hotel and force yourself to do things. That’s so important to help keep your mind fresh.”

Pegula said that Grand Slams present a unique challenge.

“I have to configure myself differently and work out how I’m going to stay fresh for a month before a Grand Slam,” Pegula added.

“It is about learning how to adjust into a different structure.

“I think it’s a little tiring. Grand Slams are a lot, mentally and physically, and to prepare with two back-to-back, fortnight-long tournaments is hard.

“It is mentally draining. It gets like Groundhog Day after a while.

“In Rome, it didn’t help that the weather was awful. I think it rained almost every single day. Sometimes at a tournament – when it’s been a long day and the weather is bad – it is easy to get stuck in your room.

“You don’t want to leave, you just want to stick on the television and order in some food. It can get you down.”

Jessica Pegula