No more questions: Pegula finally comes up with the answers in a Grand Slam quarter-final

Jessica Pegula no longer has to answer questions about having never reached a major semi-final after she defeated Iga Swiatek at the US Open on Wednesday

Jessica Pegula, National Bank Open, Toronto, 2024 © Icon SMI / Panoramic

Ricky Dimon

September 5, 2024

Jessica Pegula was not putting too much pressure on herself to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam. It was more that she simply did not want to continue being forced to answer questions about having never accomplished such a feat.

Heading into the 2024 US Open, Pegula was 0-6 lifetime in major quarter-final matches.

Well, the 30-year-old can no longer be asked about such quarter-final futility.

Pegula finally broke through the barrier on Wednesday night at the US Open, securing a semi-final spot by upsetting world No 1 Iga Swiatek 6-2, 6-4. Despite being the underdog, the American dominated the match from start to finish and advanced in one hour and 28 minutes.

It wasn’t even a me thing. It was more people asking me.
Jessica Pegula

“I would like to say I’m so happy that you guys cannot ask me about making it to the semis,” Pegula stated at the beginning of her press conference. “That was, like, oh my gosh…. It wasn’t even a me thing. It was more people asking me. I’m really happy to be through to the semi-finals.”

She was, however, asked about the nerves involved in trying to finish off such a big match.

“It wasn’t so much the round,” the world No 6 said of feeling pressure. “It’s just, like, winning a big match…. There’s a lot of other variables: beating her, No 1 player in the world, (on) Ashe, (in) primetime, trying to make a semi-final, knowing that I’m up — knowing that I’m playing well. I’m giving myself a really good opportunity.

“I’ve had some really good wins, I feel like, the last couple of weeks, and been playing some really good tennis. So at the same time I still was pretty relaxed and felt like I was going to be able to get the job done.”

The recent Toronto champion and Cincinnati runner-up will face Karolina Muchova on Thursday night. It’s an opportunity to preemptively strike down any questions about having never made it to a Grand Slam final.