China is proving to be a tough pill to swallow right now. While the Shanghai Masters came with a sweltering 86 Fahrenheit (over 30 degrees Celsius) and over a staggering 80% humidity, the conditions were no better 500 miles west. At the Wuhan Open, Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her first-round match owing to dizziness, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko suffered a heat stroke and Iga Swiatek was left hoping that next time “girls can compete, rather than just die on the court”. Jessica Pegula, however, seemed cool as a cucumber.

On Thursday, after the US star took a grueling victory (7-5, 3-6, 6-3) over Russian pro and No. 9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the R16, she revealed during the post-match interview, “It was different conditions today with the roof closed and I think it took us a little while to get adjusted, but then I felt like it was a really high level there for the rest of the match…It was super humid today. I, honestly, wasn’t bothered by the heat at all. It was just very humid. So I was just sweating a lot, but having that little bit of shade, I think, definitely helps. The other day was very, very hot. I’m from Florida and I’m used to the heat, but it was hot. I was feeling it. I think everyone who had to play that day was really struggling.

“But the heat rule went into effect until it calmed down? So I think it’s just something that we have to keep looking at the heat rule. The heat, honestly, is part of the conditions and it’s part of our sport. So I also think, you know, a lot of these tournaments now that have roofs, like, they’ll half close it, and it’s kind of like, ‘Oh, well, like, is it an indoor tournament or an outdoor tournament? Or an outdoor tournament? I also think that it can get a little bit confusing when the conditions can kind of change drastically based on a tournament just deciding that they want some shade for fans, that can really change conditions as well.

Sometimes I don’t necessarily think it is always the right thing to do, or maybe totally fair as well, because at the same time, you know, if it’s listed as an outdoor tournament, you should be ready to play in the heat. If there’s a heat rule and it’s way too hot and it’s unsafe for kids and ball kids and players to be out there, then 100% that should be in effect. And we should just wait for it to get better,” she concluded.

Expectedly, the heat wasn’t the only obstacle. Alexandrova, who already held a 3-2 lead over her opponent, left Pegula with no space to breathe in this match either. Though Pegula won the opening set, rallying from a 5-2 deficit, Alexandrova leveled the fight in the second round. Pegula stormed back in the deciding set. Interestingly, it was the sixth straight three-set battle that Buffalo, New York-native has played lately, and her fifth match where she came out on top. What’s more, this was her first win over Alexandrova on a surface other than clay.

But it was two specific moments that left everyone talking. In the opening set, with the Russian serving at 5-5, 15-30, Pegula was able to pull off a 12-shot rally with a superior backhand to earn a break point. She then secured a 6-5 lead to serve for the set.

Then, in the third set, when the 31-year-old was trailing 1-2 and facing 30-30 on her opponent’s serve, Pegula ended the 18-shot rally with a forehand to earn a break point. She converted again, making the set 2-2. That little sliver of hope was all it took for Pegula to close out the clash a little while later.

Yet, the journey is still far from finished for the American.

Jessica Pegula looks to maintain winning momentum to book her WTA Finals spot

After Thursday’s win, Jessica Pegula has earned her best campaign at the Wuhan Open. She has entered the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 event for the first time in her career. Yet, as the Quarterfinals clash against Katerina Siniakova looms near, we all know what Pegula is actually looking for: A place in the WTA Finals for the fourth straight year.

Among Madison Keys, Amanda Anisimova, and Coco Gauff, Pegula is the only one who has yet to confirm her place among the top 8 participants of the year-end event in Riyadh, which will kick off next month. For the uninitiated, Pegula has made it to three-straight WTA Finals already in the last three seasons (2022, 2023, and 2024).

But will she be able to do it? Only time will tell.