Jessica Pegula admitted she is nearing retirement and offered a surprising reflection on her future in tennis: “Five years seems like a long time.” The American tennis player, currently ranked number 3 in the world, made these remarks after reaching the quarter-finals of the recent Wimbledon tournament, where she lost to Coco Gauff.
At 32 years old, Pegula has built a remarkable career, especially in the last two years, demonstrating that she can compete with the best in Grand Slam tournaments. Her rise began in 2022 when she reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open and entered the top 10 after the quarter-finals of the French Open. The athlete broke into the top 5 that same year, following an impressive performance at the US Open, where she reached the quarter-finals. In 2024, she contested her first Grand Slam final at the US Open, defeating Iga Swiatek, but ultimately lost the title to Aryna Sabalenka.
Despite her success, Pegula acknowledges that her time in competition is running out. In an interview with the WTA during Wimbledon, the American confessed: “Five years, wow, that seems like a long time. I don’t know if I will be playing in five years. Five seems like a lot. I would say I will play year by year, depending on how my body and mind hold up. If I still feel excited to train, improve, compete, and travel. We talked about how this is a big chapter in our lives and that will influence how I feel in the years to come.”
The tennis player, who won the Charleston Open this season, saw her grass-court season marked by two losses, including the final of the Berlin Tennis Open against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova. In the London tournament, Pegula won the first set against Gauff but lost her advantage and conceded victory in three sets.
Pegula is seen as a veteran on the women's circuit, being one of three players over 30 in the WTA top 20 and the leader among the seven over 30 in the top 30. She herself noted that she has sensed a change in her peers' perception: “I was 28 when I was first called a veteran. It was Andrew Krasny, in Washington, D.C. I can criticize, but I feel that men don’t mature as quickly. When I talk to Americans who are 26, 27 years old, like Tommy, Fritz, and Foe, I feel like they’re still 16,” she explained.
Jessica Pegula expects to return to competition soon, having already accepted a wildcard for the Citi Open, which starts this month, and hopes to participate in the Canadian Open in August, where she fell in the third round last year to Anastasija Sevastova. Her career continues to fascinate, as the tennis player balances the dream of winning a Grand Slam with the awareness that time on the circuit is limited.
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