Jessica Pegula is no quitter. The American World No.4 has been more consistent than ever in 2025, building on last year’s momentum with titles in Toronto and Berlin and a breakthrough run to her first Grand Slam final at the 2024 US Open. Still chasing her first major trophy, Pegula once opened up about her mentality going into matches: “I think I always kind of have maybe a little bit of an underdog mentality, no matter who I’m playing, if it’s a high-ranked or low-ranked player, I think maybe that helps me just not get caught by surprise on some matches.” After a tough grass season, she’s channeling that energy for the upcoming hardcourts.

Fresh off a first-round exit at the Citi Open in Washington DC, Pegula is already focused on her next challenge—the National Bank Open in Canada, where she’ll be seeded third. She opened up about the tournament, saying, “I have great memories of this place, both here and in Toronto. Everyone keeps reminding me of the possibility of winning a hat-trick, but it’s still a long way off. Still, I hope to find some magic here in Canada.” She added, via We Love Tennis, “At least something close to what has allowed me to play my best tennis in recent years.”

Right now, Jessica Pegula is aiming for a third straight title at the National Bank Open. She won here in 2023 and 2024, beating Liudmila Samsonova and Amanda Anisimova, who went on to be this year’s Wimbledon finalist. Reflecting on her recent performances, she admitted, “Wimbledon didn’t go the way I wanted. I was disappointed, but it’s not so bad to be home for two and a half weeks before starting this tour.”

Her 2025 season has been a rollercoaster with highs and lows. She’s won three singles titles: the ATX Open in March, the Charleston Open in April (her first clay-court crown), and the Bad Homburg Open on grass in June, where she defeated Iga Swiatek. This marked the first time in her career that she claimed three trophies in one season!

Despite these wins, Pegula hasn’t reached a Grand Slam or WTA 1000 final this year—a first since 2021. Early in the year, she made impressive runs in the Middle East, reaching quarterfinals and semifinals at WTA 1000 events. She also reached the Miami Open final in March, edged out by Aryna Sabalenka, and did well at the Adelaide Open. At the Grand Slams, her best was the fourth round at the French Open, and she exited early at the Australian Open.

Her current record for 2025 is 35-14, and perhaps with this fiery spirit she could go further in the upcoming tournaments. But even with her sights set on taking it all, Pegula was worried about one aspect of the tour.

Jessica Pegula speaks up about hectic tournament schedule

After a tight 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 loss to Leylah Fernández in the Washington round of 16, where she entered as the top seed, Pegula touches down in Canada a little wary and a lot reflective. The new, bloated tournament format has her eyebrow raised—she’s not shy about her concerns.

For Pegula, timing is everything, especially with the US Open looming in just a few weeks. She made it clear in her pre-event press conference: “I kind of like the smaller (laughing). I kind of like when it’s quicker. I feel like you can just go and get it over with. I feel like sometimes when they’re really long, it can seem really long, especially leading up to a slam, but I’m interested.” She likes her tournaments fast and focused, not marathon slogs.

But it’s not just the schedule nagging at her—it’s the mental grind these longer events bring. Pegula didn’t mince words when comparing the new two-week setup to the emotional toll of a Grand Slam. “I’m not a fan of, yeah, when they’re, like, two weeks long. It can get really tough. I feel like slams are two weeks, and so now turning everything almost into a slam is really mentally draining. I’m hoping that these two events feel like a good kind of middle ground, I guess I could say,” she said, hoping for balance in the chaos.

Still, the big question hovers: will Pegula summon the same magic that earned her back-to-back titles in Montreal? She’s about to test her hardcourt fire in her opening match. Can she turn this tournament into a historic three-peat? Drop your thoughts in the comments!