Jessica Pegula appears to have hit peak confidence heading into the rest of the clay swing after successfully defending her Charleston Open title. The American recently looked back on her title run, sharing a carousel of images on Instagram. The post quickly drew praise from fellow star Coco Gauff, alpine skiing great Lindsey Vonn, and others.
Coco Gauff, Lindsey Vonn Lead Praise As Jessica Pegula Relives Charleston Title Run
Pegula’s Charleston run was anything but straightforward, beginning with a draining three-hour, 10-minute duel against Yulia Putintseva that set the tone for a physically taxing week. The American was repeatedly pushed to the brink, navigating a string of three-set battles against Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Diana Shnaider, and eventually Iva Jovic in the semifinal.
However, there was little indication of fatgue when it mattered most. In Sunday’s final, Pegula quickly shifted gears after a brief wobble early on, coming back from a 2-1 deficit as she rattled off five straight games to seal the opening set 6-2 in just over half an hour.
Pegula picked up right where she left off and stromed into a 5-0 lead against Yuliia Starodubtseva. The American didn’t face much resistence thereafter, eventually securing the set 6-2 and successfully defending the WTA 500 event.
The triumph carried added weight for the 32-year-old and she highlighted it through an Instagram. Pegula shared a carousel of moments, from proudly posing with the trophy, alongside her mini Australian shepherd, Maddie, to a group photograph with the ball crew.
The post also offered a glimpse beyond the court, featuring Pegula during a podcast recording with her Players Box co-hosts Madison Keys, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawczyk. All in all Pegula had a great time in Charleston with her triumph adding to her joy. “5 straight days, 11 hrs & 22 min later… 🏆 #11 thanks for the crazy week @creditonecharlestonopen,” she captioned.
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Pegula’s post quickly drew widespread attention, with fellow WTA star and World No. 3 Coco Gauff among those reacting, dropping three fire emojis in the comments. Meanwhile, former Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn responded with two flexed biceps emojis, underscoring the magnitude of Pegula’s triumph. Fellow podcast host and doubles World No. 25 Desirae Krawczyk also joined in, applauding the background track American Girl, featured in Pegula’s post.
The victory marked her second title of the season, adding to her earlier success in Dubai and reinforcing her strong run on tour. With the triumph, she entered an elite bracket alongside Serena Williams, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, and Tracy Austin as multiple-time champions at the event. Pegula later reflected on the achievement with evident satisfaction, acknowledging the significance of joining such a distinguished company.
