Jessica Pegula Feels Refreshed Ahead of Australian Open

Jessica Pegula is feeling refreshed and ready for the Australian Open after taking extra time to recover from a lingering knee injury.

American tennis player Jessica Pegula, 30, believes that taking an extra week to recover from a persistent knee injury has been a wise decision. Pegula heads into the Australian Open feeling refreshed and confident, following a strong run to the final of the Adelaide tune-up tournament.

Pegula initially sustained the knee injury during the WTA's Asian swing of tournaments, which followed her impressive run to the US Open final. Despite managing the injury, Pegula was eventually forced to withdraw from her final round-robin match at the season finale in Saudi Arabia two months ago. The additional recovery time appears to have paid off, as Pegula now looks forward to competing at the Australian Open.

Jessica Pegula attributed her knee injury flare-up to playing on the indoor surface in Saudi Arabia. “In Saudi Arabia, I'm not sure if playing on that indoor surface can be tricky sometimes on the body. It really flared up,” she explained to reporters at Melbourne Park on Sunday.

Pegula, the seventh seed, is set to begin her Melbourne Park campaign against local teenager Maya Jansen on Monday. Although the injury had not fully cleared up during the off-season, Pegula decided to skip the Brisbane International and instead started her season a week later than planned. This decision appears to have paid off, as Pegula displayed some of her best form at the Adelaide International, ultimately losing 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 to compatriot Madison Keys in the final.

Pegula reflected on her decision to skip the Brisbane International, stating, “I would have loved to try and play Brisbane probably, but it just didn't work out just as far as getting enough training in before flying over here. I wanted to make sure physically I felt, like, ready to go.” She emphasized the importance of taking extra time to recover, adding, “I just needed that extra week. But I guess it worked out perfectly in hindsight. Maybe if I had lost early in Adelaide I wouldn't be saying that, but luckily it worked out.”

In addition to her tennis pursuits, Pegula's family is deeply involved in American football, as her parents own the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Pegula mentioned that she might catch her team's Wild Card game against the Denver Broncos, which airs early Monday morning Australian time. “It's on, what, like 5 a.m. here? I probably won't be up that early. Maybe catch the second half of it,” she said. Pegula expressed her optimism about the Bills' chances, while also acknowledging the unpredictability of the game. “I think they have a great chance to win this game. I don't know, just makes me nervous. It's like a slam. You never really know what's going to happen.”