Advanced Edition: Is Jessica Pegula ready for primetime at the US Open?

WATCH: Pegula and Prakash take Manhattan

NEW YORK—Consistency among the WTA’s Top 10 has been remarkably hard to come by in 2022, unless thy name is Jessica Pegula.

If she had a superlative, the No. 8 seed would be voted Most Likely To Reach the Quarterfinals, reaching seven this season—all at the WTA 1000 level or higher, and three at Grand Slams.

“I really try to treat every match the same,” she told me last month at the Citi Open. “I think I have a lot of respect for every opponent I play; I know that on any given day, they can play well and I can have an off day. I think, no matter who I’m playing, I don’t want to take that for granted.”

Pegula can now confidently aim for even higher at the US Open, looking to turn around an 0-3 record in Grand Slam quarterfinals in a Roland Garros rematch with Iga Swiatek.

Can the American break new ground in front of her home crowd?

Why She’ll Win

That Pegula was such a strong favorite to hold her seed is a testament to the high level she’s maintained throughout the last two seasons, starting with a breakout run to the Australian Open quarterfinals.

Up against rival Petra Kvitova on Monday, she scored her first win over the two-time Wimbledon champion under the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof—conditions that should have favored the Czech.

“I actually ended up switching tension when the roof closed because I knew it was going to be a bit heavier,” she explained after the match. “I was changing racquets at the beginning and found one that felt really good luckily and was able to reel off like the next five, six games. Glad I picked the right racquet.”

Pegula has been one of the best at rolling with the punches, citing the growing discourse around the US Open’s lighter balls and advice she got from fellow quarterfinalist Ons Jabeur.

“She was like, ‘I just adapt to whatever.’ I was, like, ‘That's a good mindset. I need to think like that more often!’”

I maybe took a little inspiration from Ons [Jabeur] because there has been a lot of talk about the ball change. She was like, 'I just adapt to whatever.' I was, like, 'That's a good mindset. I need to think like that more often!' Jessica Pegula

What To Watch Out For

She will get one of the ball’s biggest critics next in Swiatek, who was on the brink of elimination to Jule Niemeier in the fourth round before dropping a final-set bagel. Swiatek beat Pegula en route to her second title in Paris; can she turn around another head-to-head on Wednesday?

“I think I maybe would take some more chances this time playing her,” she said, “especially playing her on a maybe quicker hard court than last time playing her on clay.

“Yeah, I think I just have to play within myself and play smart and be present. I think I tried to do that today. Today, I already said, felt like a quarterfinal to me just because I haven't beaten her before, she's been having a good summer.

“So I was just, ‘Don't overthink it, don't try to go for too much, don't try to force anything. Just try to play within yourself.’ I thought I did a great job of that today so I'm really just going to try and replicate that.”

Pegula hasn’t won a set to Swiatek in their two 2022 matches, but earned her long victory over the Pole on hard courts back in 2019. A very different Iga will be across the net, but the top seed will also be up against an enthusiastic Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd—at the site of Pegula’s first Slam breakthrough.

“I always have those memories of just the energy of New York City, the kind of hustle and bustle of the city, and just the fans,” she said in D.C. “It’s so much fun to be an American playing there. They get rowdy and crazy in a way that’s so special.”