Jessica Pegula Reveals Why Taylor Townsend Is Among Tennis’ Most Dangerous Players: “Don’t Really Want to Play Her”

Taylor Townsend’s journey has been anything but easy. Once denied her dream at 16 by the USTA, “I was fat, and I was black, so they took away my dream,” she endured both racism and body shaming despite being the world’s top junior. Yet today, she’s rewriting her story, storming through both singles and doubles at this year’s US Open with fire and flair. As she pushes for a coveted last-eight spot, fellow American Jessica Pegula has stepped forward, offering her sharp insight into exactly what makes Taylor Townsend one of the most dangerous players on tour.

Under the dazzling lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Taylor Townsend recently lit up New York with one of the biggest shocks of the US Open, dismantling No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-2 in the third round. Her fearless style, charging forward, cutting off angles, and dictating play, kept the teenage sensation completely off balance. 

With a ruthless lefty serve and unrelenting aggression at the net, Townsend sealed the victory in just 76 minutes. It wasn’t just a win; it was a statement, her third career Top 10 triumph, and the first in more than two years.

Now storming toward a coveted last-eight spot, Townsend has become one of the stories of the tournament. Her compatriot Jessica Pegula, also carving her path at Flushing Meadows, spoke candidly about just how lethal Townsend can be. After her own win against Ann Li at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Pegula praised her fellow American’s resurgence with admiration and respect.

“Yeah, it’s so nice. She played really well the other night against Mirra. I mean, we all know she can play really good tennis. She’s a little unorthodox when she’s serving well with the lefty serve. She comes into the net so well when she’s confident and feeling good,” Pegula told reporters.

Pegula didn’t stop there. “I mean, she’s so dangerous and you don’t really want to play her. So, it’s been really nice to see her kind of come through, especially since the last time she had, you know, a big result here was so long ago.” With those words, she captured the essence of Townsend: dangerous, unpredictable, and brilliant when locked in.

The American went further, highlighting the authenticity of Townsend’s style. “Whether it’s starting at the net with the volleys or whatever, she’s done that forever. So, she’s always kind of, you know, stepped to her own beat and, you know, I commend her for sticking to that,” Pegula explained. And she added a reminder of Townsend’s resilience: “And, you know, when you see the results kind of follow, it’s really nice to see. And I think she was a little unfortunate. I think earlier she had a concussion thing or something that took her out for a while.”

And if singles glory wasn’t enough, Townsend is weaving her magic in doubles too. Teaming up with Katerina Siniaková, she powered through the second round, dispatching Alycia Parks and Dayana Yastremska 6-3, 6-3. Dangerous in singles, formidable in doubles, Taylor Townsend is living proof that she is rewriting her narrative with power and pride. 

Meanwhile, Pegula herself remains very much alive in the draw, reaching the last eight and fueling the American dream to lift the US Open trophy once more.

Jessica Pegula speaks out after reaching the US Open quarterfinals

Jessica Pegula roared her way into yet another US Open quarterfinal, dismantling fellow American Ann Li with ruthless precision. Under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Pegula needed just 54 minutes to complete her mission, storming past Li 6-1, 6-2 in a display that left no doubt about her intent. The No. 4 seed looks every bit determined to rewrite her Flushing Meadows chapter after falling short in last year’s final against Aryna Sabalenka. This time, she hasn’t dropped a single set.

The New York crowd responded in kind, their roars amplifying Pegula’s every winner. She repaid them with a performance soaked in confidence, brushing through rallies with clean strokes and dominating the net with flair. Fans might have wished for a longer battle, but what they received instead was a masterclass of controlled aggression from one of America’s finest.

Asked about lessons from that painful final loss a year ago, Pegula’s response carried both grit and honesty. “We play so much between that time; there’s been so many ups and downs and different challenges,” she reflected.

She added, “I wasn’t playing great coming here. Making the second week was a goal itself and making the quarter-finals is crazy because I just wasn’t playing well, but I know I’ve played well here in the past and I try to take the good energy and good vibes from last year into this year.”

That run to the 2024 final still stands as Pegula’s greatest Grand Slam moment. But with her momentum peaking once again, the American dream burns brighter, this time with eyes set on going one step further.

And as she now moves into the last 8, catch all her matches at the live blog of EssentiallySports.