American WTA star Jessica Pegula recently narrated a teenage incident in which her parents and coaches were not okay with her calm attitude. According to the 31-year-old, people in her surroundings kept teaching her how to be furious, which was completely opposite to her true self. The admission came amid her ongoing campaign at the Cincinnati Open.
Jessica Pegula Narrates the Story Behind Her Calm Personality
Pegula, the No. 4 seed and last year’s finalist, won her opening match in straight sets by defeating Australia’s Kimberly Birrell 6-4, 6-3. Her impressive start secured her entry into the round of 32, where she will face Magda Linette.
Amid the ongoing campaign, Tennis Insider Club’s official Instagram account shared a clip from Pegula’s recent interview, in which she talked about the unheard stories of her life. In the video, she mentioned how her parents and coaches always wanted her to change her attitude.
“When I was growing up, my parents or my coaches at the time never really liked my attitude. They’d say, you know, you look like you don’t care. So then I kind of got this complex, like, they were trying to get me to be fired up, and I’d be like, okay, but I can’t do that, so I was trying to be something that I wasn’t. And it just never worked,” she said.
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Further highlighting how the resistance to change helped her with a massive fanbase and recognition, she added:
“So it’s funny now. I get so many compliments, like oh you’re so calm and I love your presence on the court. I’m like, it’s so funny cause I felt like my whole teenage years I was just being told how to act. What to be, what to do. And I had no idea what my personality was. And then I was just like, I don’t care. Getting super fired up or even super mad drains me a lot; I never do well.”
Pegula will face Magda Linette in the round of 32 showdown at the Cincinnati Open on Monday, Aug. 11.
Frances Tiafoe Takes a Cheeky Dig at Pegula for Not Talking to “Little People” Post Notable Success
Frances Tiafoe recently admitted to considering Pegula as his favorite hitting partner. During a recent interview with The Guardian, he remembered frequently engaging in practice sessions with the 31-year-old. However, he also took a dig at the compatriot star for not engaging in conversations with him after notable success.
“She hits the ball so pure and right in pocket every time. She’s pretty relaxed as well. But she doesn’t want to hit with me anymore. She’s made some finals now in some slams, 1000s, and she doesn’t want to talk to me as much anymore. She got too big time for me. She forgot about the little people,” he said.
Currently competing at the Cincinnati Open, Tiafoe also advanced in the round of 32 by defeating Roberto Carballes Baena. He will now face Ugo Humbert, with a spot in the top 16 at stake.
