“One tournament… anything goes”: Jessica Pegula wants tennis to get a little more rowdy

WATCH: Jessica Pegula sits down with Tennis Channel to discuss her second-round win in Charleston.

Let the fans speak, said the players last week at the Miami Open, after Frances Tiafoe sparked a debate about one of tennis’ most enduring traditions. Now it’s all about letting the players talk—trash talk, that is, if top seed Jessica Pegula had her way.

The Credit One Charleston Open top seed stopped by the Tennis Channel Live after her 6-2, 6-0 victory over Anna Blinkova, to chat with Steve Weissman about the mixed reactions to her latest Tweet.

“You know all the Americans are like, yeah let’s do it!” Pegula said. “Coco and I were talking, and I think it is a bit cultural. Like in the U.S., we’re used to the NBA, NHL, NFL—like, there’s a lot of trash talking.

“I think it would be fun. Obviously, not everyone’s into it.”

In fact, Pegula says she wants tennis to have something similar to the PGA Tour’s rowdy WM Phoenix Open. The tournament was established in the 1930s, but with its “raucous” and relaxed atmosphere it has become pro golf’s most attended—and most viral—event.

Check out this year's WM Phoenix Open highlights to see why:

“One tournament a year, and just, like, everything goes,” Pegula laughed. “Just one tournament a year, that’s all! And then just see what happens.”

While it’s unclear which tournament on the WTA and ATP calendars has the right energy for such an experiment, Weissman and Pegula settled on Miami—where the debate about tennis traditions and fan involvement became a hot topic.

Players were quick to voice their opinions on social media, including Ben Shelton who offered to test the waters during his career first European swing event in Estoril:

Top seed Pegula will be back on court in Charleston on Thursday to face No. 15 Irina-Camelia Begu—trash talk TBD—for a place in the quarterfinals.