Jessica Pegula will be busy at the upcoming WTA Finals. The American has qualified for the singles and doubles at the prestigious season-ending tournament.
Pegula is enjoying the best year of her career in singles and doubles. Her emergence and breakthrough on the WTA Tour happened later than many players. Before turning 25, she had never qualified for the main draw of any Grand Slam outside the US Open.
However, her consistency this year has been impressive. She and Iga Swiatek are the only WTA players to reach the quarterfinals of three Grand Slams, but Pegula lost all three.
After losing in the US Open quarterfinal, the American generated headlines by drinking a can of Heineken beer at a press conference. The 28-year-old humorously said she was trying to pee for doping, but the beer also helped with the pain of losing.
Pegula and Coco Gauff advanced past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam in doubles. The pair reached the final of the French Open but lost in three sets to home favorites Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic.
Gauff and Pegula also won the Canadian Open title together. Those results mean they qualified for the doubles at the WTA Finals, and both women will also play singles at the season-ending tournament in Fort Worth, Texas.
Pegula spoke openly about how proud she was of that achievement. This year's Madrid Open runner-up thinks qualifying for the doubles with another American is particularly special and a great reward after a long and grueling 2022 season.
“It’s a huge achievement for me in both singles and doubles. And to do it with another American is really cool. I’m just super-happy. It’s paying off, all my hard work and all the matches I’ve played this year. It’s been a long year, and it’s just a great reward.”
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