The weather in Cincinnati has proven to be a rather tricky customer so far. No amount of ice packs helped as Arthur Rinderknech collapsed on the court during his R32 match against Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime. He eventually had to retire, sending Auger-Aliassime to the next round. After his surprising early exit, Daniil Medvedev was also heard complaining, “It was very tough physically and, unfortunately, in these conditions, I think physicality becomes the priority.”

On the women’s side, following a hard-fought three-set victory against Renata Zarazua, Kazakh star Elena Rybakina said, “In the first set, the sun hit quite badly on me. I honestly didn’t feel well, especially at the beginning of the match. Somehow, I got used to it & the weather became better. But it was really tough match. Happy that I managed to get through.” But as things stand, it seems that the Rain God has finally turned His attention towards ‘The Queen City’. Unfortunately, that has hardly made things better.

On Tuesday, we saw a few stoppages due to rain, and now on Wednesday, play has been suspended due to lightning in Cincinnati. So, there will be no play for another 35-50 minutes or so. Players like Jessica Pegula, Alexander Zverev, and a few others are left stranded now. After losing the first set by 6(5)-7 to Poland’s Magda Linette, Pegula came back strongly in the second set, winning it by a 6-3 margin. It’ll be interesting to see who takes the final set when the play resumes, eventually.

[UPDATE] As things stand, it seems we won’t see Jessica Pegula and Alexander Zverev back in action today. Play has been cancelled for the night at the Cincinnati Open. The official X handle of the Cincinnati Open released a statement saying, “Due to the rain, there will be no further play this evening. A revised order of play for Wednesday will be released shortly.” Will this stop-and-start be a boon or a bane for Jessica Pegula on the next day?

Time will tell! But recently, Pegula made some interesting revelations during her recent appearance on the Tennis Insider Club podcast. Let’s take a glimpse at those statements meanwhile.

Amid the 2025 Cincinnati Open campaign, Jessica Pegula sheds light on her retirement plans

Jessica Pegula made her debut at the professional level in 2009, and throughout these sixteen years, the American star has managed to win nine singles titles and seven doubles titles. The 2024 season, in fact, was particularly special for Pegula. She played 56 matches last year, but her most remarkable performance came at the US Open, where she reached the final. This year, she has already played 52 matches and won 37 of them. Jessica Pegula has also put three titles in her bag, and guess what?

There are plenty of tournaments still left in this season. Having already secured her spot in the third round of the Cincinnati Open, Jessica Pegula recently appeared on the Tennis Insider Club podcast, and during that podcast, she gave a hint about her future plans. When asked if she sees her tennis career going on much longer, she spoke about how she felt a bit “burnt out” last year. Having said that, she claimed that she has been feeling much better this season.

Further on, she added, “I will definitely not be playing at 35. I think that is where I for sure have to stop. I think it would be cool to maybe try and make the Olympics because it’s in LA in a couple of years.” Pegula also spoke about how her compatriot, Coco Gauff, has been lobbying hard to keep her going until at least the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Clarifying her thought process behind setting an age limit, Pegula also said, “I definitely don’t want to have kids and then come back. I think when I have a kid, I’m done. I admire the women that do that, but that is just not [for me].“

Time will tell if we’re going to see her alongside Gauff at the Los Angeles Olympics or not. But coming back to her current campaign, so far Pegula has been enjoying her time at the Cincinnati Open. Do you think she can win one more title before entering the US Open this season?