‘Outlier’ Jessica Pegula Doesn’t Fit the Mold. (She’s Fine with That.)

CHASING CHARLESTON REPEAT, TOP SEED HAPPY TO DO IT HER OWN WAY

With six major singles titles between them, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are all the rage these days; two-time Grand Slam finalist Amanda Anisimova, too. Altitudinous powerballers capable of blowing their opponents off the court on any given day. Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff have carved their own niche; a mix of elite all-court athleticism and an unrelenting competitive drive.

So where does that leave Jessica Pegula, who over the past four years has been one of the WTA Tour’s steadiest, most consistent performers, having spent some 200 consecutive weeks amongst the Top 10? Where does she fit in? What’s her on-court identity?

“I feel like I am kind of my own thing,” said Pegula, the top seed and defending champion at the 2026 Credit One Charleston Open. “I’m kind of a little bit of an outlier in a way, where I just play a very balanced type of game. It’s not overly athletic. I don’t really look like I’m hitting the ball that hard, even though I still hit it pretty hard. My size isn’t crazy. I think I’m just really good at redirecting power. I think I play very smart. I think I’m able to take the ball early and that’s kind of how I play aggressive.”

“I’m just kind of an all-around, very balanced player. I think it kind of fits my personality as well. I feel like players kind of play to their personality.”

Pegula, 32, is more than familiar with the current world Nos. 1-2. She, of course, faced Sabalenka in her lone appearance in a Grand Slam final, in 2024, edged in a 7-5, 7-5 US Open title tilt that couldn’t have felt any closer. And Rybakina? Pegula has already faced her on three occasions in 2026, most recently coming out on the short end of a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal last month in Miami.

“I feel like players kind of play to their personality.” — Jessica Pegula

“Right now, they’re definitely the best two players in the world,” said Pegula. “Elena’s playing the best tennis right now, week in and week out, especially this year. It’s been really impressive to see how she’s maintaining that form. When you’re playing big, powerful players and they’re confident with their games, that’s the toughest part because they’re able to overpower you. They’re able to serve big, get a lot of free points, go for big shots, and really push you around the court.”

Rybakina and Sabelenka have also shown improvements in other areas, becoming more adept at coming to the net, mixing in some off-pace shots, some slices.

“That puts even more pressure on you,” said the fifth-ranked Pegula. “When they’re having a good day, sometimes there’s not that much you can do. But I feel like when I’ve played them, I’ve been right there. I never feel like it’s impossible. I’ve felt like I’ve had a lot of chances. But I think right now when I play them, the biggest difference to me is just their confidence in the big pressure points. They seem to really back themselves going for maybe a lower percentage, aggressive shot, and sometimes that can be really frustrating to play against.”

But Pegula, who captured her 10th career title earlier this year at the WTA 1000 level in Dubai, and has now reached the quarterfinals or better in nine consecutive tournaments, has made some strides of her own. Take her serve. Working closely with co-coaches Mark Knowles and Mark Merklein, she’s fine-tuned a shot that has been pulling her out of many a jam. And that speaks to her personality, too: Smart, ultra-steady, capable of hanging with the big girls, always looking for ways to improve.

Pegula with husband Taylor Gahagen