Martina
Navratilova analyzed
Jessica Pegula shortly before her debut at the
WTA Finals
and even compared her to Simona Halep.
The season
is coming to a close, and Cancun will be the venue for the 2023 WTA Finals,
which kick off on October 29 and run until November 5. With the group draw
finalized, the tournament's first match will feature the world No. 5, Jessica
Pegula, facing off against the former Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina.
The
American has maintained her position within the top 5 throughout the year,
thanks to her remarkable consistency, even though she didn't manage to advance
beyond the quarterfinals in any Grand Slam.
Tennis
legend
Martina Navratilova shared her insights on Pegula with the WTA website
and advised her to take more risks, stating that she won't be able to challenge
the top-ranked players if she continues to play the same way.
“Jessie
still needs to get out of her comfort zone. When push comes to shove, she plays
it safe -- and she needs to not do that. Playing it safe, she’s not going to
beat the players that are ranked higher than her.” Navratilova said.
“It was
kind of like that with Simona Halep. Early on at Wimbledon, in the big moments,
she backed away from the baseline. When she started being more aggressive
positionally, crowding the baseline, that’s when she started winning majors.
And I think Jessica needs to do the same,” 18-time Grand Slam champion added.
“She
doesn’t have a huge weapon and can make up with it in more aggression, shot
selection and court position. You don’t have to hit the ball harder, but hit it
closer to the line. Sit down on the baseline to take time away from your
opponent,” Navratilova concluded.
Pegula will
open the Finals by facing Rybakina and leads their head-to-head (h2h) record
2-1. Their only encounter this year was at the Miami Open, with Rybakina
emerging victorious with a score of 7-6(3), 6-4.