Amanda Anisimova recently spoke about the influential role Jessica Pegula has played as a member of the WTA’s Architecture Council. The American praised her compatriot’s efforts in her new role and expects her to drive meaningful change on the tour.
The hectic tour schedule has long been a major concern among players. Notably, stars such as Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Iga Świątek, and Coco Gauff have repeatedly spoken out about the strain of the demanding calendar.
Amanda Anisimova Opens Up on Jessica Pegula’s ‘Inspiring’ WTA Role and Lists the Changes She Hopes for
In response, the Women’s Tennis Association established the Tour Architecture Council to address these concerns, including player commitments and the circuit’s broader structure. Pegula, currently ranked World No. 5, was appointed to lead the initiative as the council’s chair.
Her compatriot, Anisimova, recently discussed Pegula’s new role after an easy 6-1, 6-1 win over Emma Raducanu in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open. When asked about what she finds challenging about Jessica Pegula’s game and her thoughts on the American’s new role, Amanda Anisimova replied:
“Yeah, I feel like we always play a really good match as of lately, and I love a challenge. I actually like facing her, because I feel like I learn more about myself and my game, where I can improve. I mean, I like to keep facing her because I feel like it makes me a better player. Yeah, obviously she’s a great player, and she is where she belongs. She’s very tough to play,” she said.
Anisimova said she finds Pegula’s efforts on the WTA’s player council inspiring. She acknowledged how difficult it is to balance leadership responsibilities with training and commitments.
“Yeah, I find it very inspiring that, you know, she’s trying to make changes and help the players on tour, she’s on the player council, and just trying to, you know, be a good leader in that sense. It is really difficult to balance with, you know, everything that you already have going, like commitments and training. Yeah, really happy that she’s doing that for us,” she added.
Anisimova further expressed hope that upcoming reforms on the WTA Tour will better protect player health and ensure a sustainable schedule that allows athletes to manage tournaments without risking their careers.
“Yeah, hopefully, you know, there can be better changes in terms of keeping the players healthy. I think that’s very important. You know, it’s important to make sure our careers are sustainable and that we can be comfortable going in and out of tournaments. Hopefully, there is a positive change in that direction,” she said.
Anisimova has reached the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open and is set to face tenth seed Victoria Mboko. The Canadian, however, is favored to win with a 51% chance, according to PFSN’s exclusive simulator. Meanwhile, Pegula faces the 26th seed, Jeļena Ostapenko, in the third round and has an 84% chance of winning.
