Jessica Pegula is the current WTA World No. 3, but still wants to add to her game, and wishes she could mimic Iga Swiatek's sliding skills.
Pegula is synonymous with being one of the most astute baseliners in the world. Her versatility and ability to remain unflappable off both wings set her apart from the rest. But one key feature in her game that she feels is lacking is sliding on the court.
Sliding on the tennis courts is certainly not for the fainthearted as it requires incredible skill and technique, and instinctive ability to transfer your weight before even attempting to do it. It's one of the riskiest moves to try if you haven't mastered the technicalities as it could really go wrong and end up injuring yourself.
For Jessica Pegula, it's the one trait she wishes she could take out of Swiatek's playbook. The Polish World No. 1 does it dextrously and with so much finesse. And while Pegula has tried the move frequently in practice, she talked about the difficulty of replicating it on a match day at the 2023 Cincinnati Masters.
"I laugh, because a couple of years ago, I was, like, I'm going to slide on hard court. My coach is, like, 'Oh, my God'. I think we were here. He's, like, 'Can you not try and slide in practice before your match?' I'm, like, I can do it (smiling)."
"So I do sometimes slide. Am I like Iga? Definitely not. I don't think I slide as much into my shots, like, I can't do the running-for-the-dropshot sliding. I wish I could do that. If I do it, I could probably do it on a practice court, but it doesn't really come, like, instant for me to do it a match, so I just don't do it. And obviously, I'm not going to run up to the drop shot and be, like, Oh, I need to slide to look cool or whatever."
Outside the technicalities of using your hands and racket, sliding also calls for using the proper footwear as Pegula pointed out. Shoes with non-marks on soles create enough traction for quicker movements and allow players to glide on the court easily.
The surface also plays a factor, and it is always recommended to attempt the move on clay courts as there is less impact and provides sufficient friction.
"But, yeah, and it also depends on the shoes, I think, as well. Some seem to be easier than others. Maybe a little more worn down. Also the court. The court is super gritty for me, yeah, no chance. Maybe on a slicker court."
0 Comments