Jessica Pegula joins Victoria Azarenka and Lindsay Davenport with incredible first set record

Jessica Pegula has joined Victoria Azarenka and Lindsay Davenport in boasting an incredible record of 51-0 when winning the first set this season.

World No. 5 Pegula has built up a lot of success on the WTA Tour in 2023. She helped Team USA to victory at the United Cup, won the WTA 1000 Canadian Open title, and qualified for the 2023 WTA Finals, where she has made it to the final for the first time.

In the process, Pegula has played more matches than anyone else on the Tour this year and has not yet lost a match after winning the first set, which she has done 51 times in 2023.

As a result, Pegula is on the cusp of joining an exclusive list including just two other players who went undefeated after winning the first set for an entire season. These are three-time Grand Slam champion Davenport, who achieved a record of 53-0 in 2001, and two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka, who boasted 60-0 in 2012.

Moreover, the 29-year-old has been reflecting on her season while competing at the WTA Finals in Cancun, revealing that she feels more confident this year.

"I think last year when I became Top 5, I felt maybe I psyched myself out a little bit -- not a lot -- but just a little bit. You have a couple of thoughts in your head if you really belong at that level. I was always good at beating everyone below me. But it's like now you have to beat the one or two before you, and I think you put a bigger emphasis on that.

"This year, I've just not really cared and I've just had, I think, more confidence in those matches. And that's why I think I've had some maybe better top wins this year as far as beating No.1 players in the world in big moments," she said after advancing from the Group Stage at the season-ending championship.

After reaching the final, where she will face either World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or No. 2 Iga Swiatek, Pegula spoke of how her achievements in Cancun will help to boost her confidence further in 2024.

"It’s probably my biggest final ever. It’s going to give me a lot of confidence going into next year," she explained.