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via Imago

via Imago

No one likes skipping on a tour-level match. Let alone having no streaming service for showdowns that are highly anticipated by the tennis community. Jessica Pegula has encountered a similar concerning situation. The American resumed her adventure on the WTA Tour, but fans were deprived of watching the talent’s contest. This, in turn, has enraged the tennis world.

After enduring an early second-round exit in singles at the Paris Olympics, Pegula has turned her attention to the Canadian Open, where she will be looking to defend her first Master’s title. Being the tournament’s third seed, she was privy to receiving an opening-round bye. Subsequently, Pegula’s second-round matchup was drawn against Karolina Pliskova.

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The duel housed a commanding performance from the 30-year-old, wherein she brushed past the Czech’s challenge in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4. However, fans were unable to cue in on the said face-off. While spectating matches is a major part of the sporting community, dislodging them of contests delivered by their favored players carries repercussions.

Tennis Channel has been under fire by the tennis world many times for not streaming matches that are demanded by American fans. With a similar situation taking place for the American number 2, fans fired shots at the sport’s streaming services.

Tennis fans criticize TC+ for not broadcasting Jessica Pegula’s Canadian Open session

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Are streaming services failing tennis fans? Jessica Pegula's match cut-off was the last straw!

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When tennis fans learned that Pegula’s night session in Toronto was not telecasted by the Tennis Channel, they went haywire. And, of course, they had their set of reasons. While paying for a premium service, one would expect they can view any match played on a court with cameras. However, nighttime WTA 1000 clashes are still not available for viewing. “Why do I pay for TennisChannel when I can’t even watch the nighttime matches at a wta1000 event?”

Another fan expressed similar disappointment with the broadcasting network’s laidback services, helplessly asking for an alternate streaming platform to spectate the match by saying, “Is this not on Tennis Channel Plus? Help”.

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The frustration for American tennis fans must be at an all-time high since their WTA stars were thrashed in the Olympics, and they aren’t able to watch them where they perform the best. One tennis fan took the situation out of context and laid bare on young American talent Coco Gauff. They highlighted that spectating matches were useless because of World No. 2 Gauff’s disheartening end to her Paris Olympics campaign last week. “Tennis channel is a poverty streaming service I might just stop watching tennis at this rate Coco down bad.”

Tennis Channel has been under fire many times this year. In the Madrid Open earlier this year, their streams of many matches were far behind the actual score. Their situation has not improved recently either as one fan said, “TC+ has been wacky for 3 weeks straight, at least. At least regular TC is allegedly featuring that one but there’s been complete matches that nobody in the US have been able to see live. TC+ is such a disaster, still.”

Pegula won her first, and for now, only Master’s title in the 2023 Canadian Open. She won after beating Gauff and Iga Swiatek on her way to the final. Her title defense run is something several fans have awaited. “Why is TC+ not showing Pegula,” were the words of one fan who was enraged at missing out on the world number 6.

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For the uninitiated, this isn’t the first time fans have dealt with such a situation. Notably, in 2023, fans in the Middle East and North Africa were unable to witness Tunisian star Ons Jabeur‘s Madrid Open and Parma Open summit clashes.

Regardless, we can hope that the streaming platform fixed their broadcasting issues. As this will come in handy when Pegula takes on the Toronto courts for her Round of 16 showdown.

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