Jessica Pegula will exit the 2024 WTA Finals already in the round-robin stage after she also lost her second match, this time to Barbora Krejcikova.
For a long time, it looked like the 30-year-old American might not even qualify for the year-end championship. However, an inspired run to the US Open final saw Pegula book a spot at the 2024 WTA Finals.
She qualified thanks to points earned since the start of the season, but that wasn't the case for her second opponent in Riyadh, Barbora Krejcikova. The Czech player qualified thanks to a special rule that allowed her to participate, thanks to winning a Grand Slam title in 2024.
Krejcikova won the Wimbledon Championships, and despite being only the 12th player in the 2024 WTA Race, she got a spot at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
In their first matches, both of these players lost. While Pegula was outplayed by Coco Gauff, Krejcikova was ousted by Iga Swiatek. That meant their second match was a must-win for both players.
They met twice before, with both matches happening last year and on the hard courts. Each was able to win once, showing that there is only little between these two when they play at their best.
In the first set, both had a great start. After six games played, the score was tied at 3-3 with no break points for either player up until that point. But that quickly changed.
Serving next, Pegula felt the pressure, and she fell behind 0-30. Although she managed to erase that deficit and make it 30-30, she didn't avoid being broken, falling behind 3-4.
The American player then couldn't find another gear, as Krejcikova kept applying pressure, and on top of the first break of serve, she added another one, winning the first set 6-3.
Carrying on the momentum from the first set, the Czech player started with a break of serve also in the second set, and in almost no time, she was already up 2-0.
Pegula then immediately broke back, but she couldn't hold her serve again after that, and that cost her the match. Krejcikova controlled her serve for the remainder of the match, allowing only one more break point, which she saved.
That meant Krejcikova was able to win the match 6-3, 6-3 to secure her first singles win at the WTA Finals after going winless at the event in 2021. In doubles, she is the 2021 champion and a two-time finalist at the event.
Thanks to the new rule, the Czech player also became the lowest-ranked player to win at the WTA Finals since 2002. That was the last time that 16 players entered the draw of the year-end championship before a round-robin format with eight players was introduced.
For Pegula, the loss means that she now doesn't have a chance to reach the semi-finals. However, she will still play one last match against Iga Swiatek, in which she can still win valuable 200 points and prize money.
Obviously, Krejcikova was happy about her victory, as for her, this means that she can still reach the semi-finals of the tournament. To do that, she will almost certainly need to beat Coco Gauff. That's unless Swiatek loses to both Gauff and Pegula while not winning more than one set.
"I definitely enjoyed it very much. I’m really pleased with how I played today. It’s nice to get the win. I was fighting for every ball. I felt I really have to play my best tennis. I tried to do that and be talk to solid and put as many balls back to the other side as I could. I’m super happy."
"I’m definitely proud. I had some very hard parts of the season. Especially winning Wimbledon was something indescribable. To be here is a huge privilege. To be playing in the Final 8. it’s very nice to get the win and still be part of the event."
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