Jessica Pegula embraces the ‘big hitter’ label at WTA Finals: “I hit pretty hard!”

Jessica Pegula secured her passage into the WTA Finals Cancun semifinal stage in style, overpowering top seed Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets during Tuesday’s round robin action.

It was a statement win for the American, who had lost her previous four matches in a row to Sabalenka, including all eight sets they’d played. But she turned the tables to take down the world No. 1 with a calm and measured performance—and plenty of firepower of her own.

While labels like “big hitter” and “power player” are reserved for the Aryna Sabalenkas and Elena Rybakinas of the tour, Pegula’s game is frequently described as “rock solid” or “hard working”. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t hitting the absolute stuffing out of the ball, as Pegula told Tennis Channel’s Steve Weissman and Coco Vandeweghe after her victory. (Video above)

“Chanda (Rubin) and Linsday (Davenport) were talking about this during the match, you actually out-hit Sabalenka in terms of speed off both wings,” Weissman informed Pegula. “You were faster than Sabalenka, who is one of the biggest hitters on tour!”

The stat was indeed impressive, but Pegula didn't seem surprised. When asked if her hard-hitting shots were an intentional part of her game plan against Sabalenka, Pegula clarified that power is just another (although underrated) tool in her arsenal.

“I hit really hard! People don’t seem to think I hit hard, like commentators… No, seriously!” Pegula told Weissman and Vandeweghe amid laughter. “I don’t know why they say that. I think it’s because it looks like I’m not. I hit flatter, I don’t hit as heavy as Aryna, but I hit hard! I don’t get that…

“I don’t grunt, I’m not super physical, so I think that’s why it doesn’t seem like it… but I hit pretty hard!”

Having set the record straight, Pegula continued enjoying life in Mexico, where she became the first player to reach the semifinals after opening with a straight sets win over Elena Rybakina and sweeping past Sabalenka on Tuesday.

And she’s already exceeded her own expectations: Last year, she went 0-3 in singles and 0-3 in doubles partnered with Coco Gauff in Fort Worth. But in Mexico, where 2022 Guadalajara champion Pegula remains undefeated, the results are starting to go her way.

“I think I've been playing at a really solid level,” Pegula told press. “I thought I played better tonight than I did the first match (against Rybakina). I thought I served better today besides the couple of double faults on match point.

“But besides that, I think I was returning really well again, and being really solid and picking when to be aggressive, and also feels like I'm moving pretty well on the court and playing some good defense.

“So I think it was a little bit better than my first match. I'm happy with that.”

No. 5 seed Pegula will take on Maria Sakkari, the No. 8 seed, in the final round robin matches of the Bacalar Group. With the Greek player already eliminated after going 0-2, Sabalenka and Rybakina will face off for the remaining semifinal spot on Thursday.