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Tennis

Jessica Pegula's Return to NY for Garden Cup Evokes Mixed Emotions

2024-12-04

A wave of emotions swept over U.S. tennis star Jessica Pegula this week as she made her way to New York City for the Garden Cup. The U.S. Open may have concluded nearly three months ago, yet Pegula's return to the city brought back vivid memories of the grueling three-week journey to her first Grand Slam final. "It's so strange. It feels as if I were just here," Pegula expressed on Tuesday prior to Wednesday's exhibition match against fellow American Emma Navarro at Madison Square Garden. "My coach was by my side, and he remarked, 'Oh God, we're back.'... Just the stress and the chaos of those three weeks, it's quite amusing how it instantly comes back when you're in the city." American tennis player Jessica Pegula hitting tennis balls into the stands during a timeout in the third quarter of the Knicks' 121 - 106 win over the Magic on Dec. 3, 2024. Brad Penner - Imagn Images.

Her Journey and Resilience

It has been 15 years since Pegula, now 30, embarked on her professional tennis career. However, she has no intentions of slowing down anytime soon. In fact, her dominant play this summer and during the U.S. Open only served to rejuvenate her and reminded her that she still has a great deal to offer the tennis world.Before Pegula's breakthrough summer, she faced a series of injuries. She had to miss the Middle Eastern swing in February due to a neck injury. After a brief return, she suffered a rib injury in April and didn't feel like her usual self. As a result, she decided to sit out the European clay season. This lengthy break from tennis, which was the longest since the pandemic, made Pegula eager to get back on the court. "You don't second - guess yourself, but you just get antsy," she said. "You're like, 'I just want to go out there,' and then you see everyone else playing and doing well. You feel like everyone is moving ahead while you're falling behind."However, that time off might have been exactly what Pegula needed. She returned refreshed. Pegula successfully defended her title in the Canada Open in early June and was the runner - up in the Cincinnati Open in August before heading to the U.S. Open, where she ultimately lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the final. "I just competed really well [this year] and I'm always very proud of competing," Pegula stated. "The stretch that I was able to achieve in the summer was something I had never accomplished before at any level of my career."

Her Connection with New York Sports Crowds

Pegula, ranked seventh in the World Tennis Association world rankings, attended the Rangers - Devils game on Monday at Madison Square Garden. During a stoppage of play, she was reminded of the special nature of New York sports crowds when her highlights from her thrilling semifinals win against Karolina Muchova in the U.S. Open were shown on the video board and she received a standing ovation. "The New York crowds are just unique," said Pegula, the daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres owner Terry Pegula. "It was really amazing to see that they were still excited about that moment when I made the finals. I thought that was truly special. So, there are definitely a lot of special memories for me."

Emma Navarro's Experience

Twenty - three - year - old Navarro, ranked eighth in the world, also had a significant experience at this year's U.S. Open. She notably knocked off defending U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff in the fourth round but lost in the semifinals. "It is [cool] to come back to the city and recall the experience I had at the U.S. Open," Navarro said. "Putting on a little show in a more relaxed atmosphere [at the Garden Cup] is really exciting."