Jessica Pegula says it can become a bit "awkward" on practice courts, but reveals she has her tactic of getting a player off the court when it's her time to hit some balls as she simply arrives there and makes sure the player realizes it's time for them to leave the court.
Although Grand Slam tournaments have the biggest capacity and the most courts, practice courts are always fully booked the week leading up to the tournament. This week at the US Open has been no different and it hasn't been that easy to find a practice court, for which you get a 30-minute slot.
Pegula, who is one of the Tour veterans, has seen it all and she is well-adjusted to such situations. Asked how she reacts when she arrives at a practice court and sees a player breaking their time slot and still practicing, the world No. 4 revealed that she subtly indicated to the player that their time was up. However, the 2024 US Open runner-up also noted that if a player nicely asks her for a bit more time, she always grants that.
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Pegula: Sometimes you're like, 'My time, you need to get off'
"I always kind of like to put the pressure on a little bit, because I feel like there are maybe some players that maybe aren't paying attention or don't know and they kind of linger. Sometimes when it's tough to get courts, you're like, 'Okay, it's my time. You need to get off,'" the 31-year-old explained.
"But in my experience I have never really had too many awkward encounters. Some girls or guys even are pretty chill. Like, 'No, take your time, I'm still waiting for someone. You want to hit one more?' Maybe you ended on a bad shot. They are like, 'Go ahead, hit one more good one before you end.'"
Earlier this week, Pegula took part in the revamped US Open mixed doubles format with Jack Draper and they made the semifinal - that certainly provided a solid preparation for what's to come. Now, the fourth-seeded home star is preparing to meet Mayar Sheriff in the US Open singles first round.
