Jessica Pegula thinks it's good for the women's game to have star power like Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka and Rybakina, who clashed in the Australian Open final, also met in the Indian Wells final. After a very dominant Iga Swiatek season in 2022, Sabalenka and Rybakina have joined the party and they are arguably the two WTA players who have shown the most at the start of the 2023 season.
"Yeah, it's a little bit different, but at the same time you see Sabalenka and Rybakina doing the same thing kind of back and forth. I think there's always going to be someone. That just shows the depth in the women's game, that anyone can step up and kind of take over.
I think that's really cool that we have all these kind of big players, star power in the game," Pegula said, per Sportskeeda.
Pegula on being the top-ranked American female tennis player
Pegula, who is enjoying a career-high ranking of No 3 in the world, has been the top-ranked American female tennis player since late 2022.
Pegula is also ranked higher than any American male tennis player. "It has been very rewarding and fun, though, to hear it announced before every single match. I think it's so much fun. Especially in the States, you really see people respond to that.
Even No. 1 women's player. I'm like, No, I'm the No. 1 men's and women's player in the US It's just fun. I think it's a cool thing that I get to say and I get to hear. People really obviously respond," Pegula said. On Saturday, Pegula won an all-American clash at the Miami Open as she defeated Danielle Collins 6-1 7-6 (0).
In the Miami round-of-16, Pegula plays against 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette. Last year, Pegula achieved her best-ever Miami result when she made the semifinal.