Relaxation Pays Off: Pegula Credits Escape Room for US Open Quarterfinal Success
Jessica Pegula credits a night out at an escape room and a few drinks for helping her shake off poor form and advance to the US Open quarterfinals. Read more about her winning strategy.
“I felt terrible coming into this tournament, honestly...”
Jessica Pegula's recent win at the US Open might be attributed to a fun night out with friends at an escape room, coupled with a couple of drinks. According to Pegula, this relaxing experience helped her shake off poor form and ultimately plot a successful path to the quarterfinals. She breezed past fellow American Ann Li, winning 6-1, 6-2 in just 54 minutes on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.
This victory marks a significant turnaround for Pegula, who had struggled with her form before the tournament. In fact, she had stopped practicing with her partner, Aryna Sabalenka, and opted for the escape room adventure instead. Pegula's decision to take a break and unwind seems to have paid off, as she played some of the best tennis she's had all year. She'll next face Barbora Krejcikova, who fought off eight match points to beat Taylor Townsend 1-6, 7-6 (13), 6-3.
Pegula's performance at the US Open has been impressive so far, with her not dropping a set this year at Flushing Meadows. She expressed pride in turning her tennis around over the last few weeks and is hopeful to go further in the tournament.
No.4 seed Jessica Pegula is through to the quarterfinals in emphatic fashion! pic.twitter.com/y2EyKknHUt
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2025
Jessica Pegula arrived in New York after a tough run of results, including early exits at WTA events in Washington, Montreal, and Cincinnati, which had her expecting an early exit at the US Open. However, her confidence took a hit when she struggled during a practice session with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, cutting it short due to her dismal form.
But Pegula turned things around after a fun night out with friends at an escape room, where she had a “few drinks.” This break helped her relax and approach the tournament with a fresh mindset. She then went on to deliver a dominant performance, defeating Ann Li 6-1, 6-2 in just 54 minutes, showcasing her skills and strategic play. This win marked her second consecutive year advancing to the US Open quarterfinals.
“I felt terrible coming into this tournament, honestly,” Pegula said after Sunday's 54-minute victory. “I had a practice Wednesday, I hit with Sabalenka. She killed me. I was playing terrible.
“Then we went out for a second hour, and I stopped like halfway through the hour and was, like, 'I'm done, this isn't good' ... So I kind of walked off the court, like, not very happy.”
Jessica Pegula's recent win at the US Open might be attributed to a fun night out with friends at an escape room, where she had a couple of drinks and realized she needed to relax and stop overthinking her practices. As she put it, “Went and did an escape room with my friends and had, like, two drinks and was, like, 'I need to just chill and stop getting so frustrated and overthinking all these practices.'” This break seemed to help her shake off poor form and approach the tournament with a fresh mindset. Pegula then delivered a dominant performance, defeating Ann Li 6-1, 6-2 in just 54 minutes on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.
Pegula's win marked a significant turnaround after a rough patch in recent weeks. Last year, she had a remarkable run at the US Open, ousting Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals before falling short against Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Now, she's looking to go further in the tournament. Pegula's next opponent will be Barbora Krejcikova in the quarterfinals, scheduled for September 2, 4:30 PM WAT.
Pegula's performance at the US Open has been impressive so far, with her not dropping a set this year at Flushing Meadows. She expressed pride in turning her tennis around over the last few weeks and is hopeful to go further in the tournament.
“I played her at Roland Garros this year and we had a tough two sets,” Pegula said.
“When she's serving well she's really dangerous. But I felt she came out slow and nervous and I wanted to jump on top of that. That was my motivation the entire match.”
Pegula exploited Li's problems on serve to coast to a win that sets up a quarter-final meeting against either Barbora Krejcikova or Taylor Townsend, who play later Sunday.
Li, ranked 58th in the world, was on the defensive from the first game, being broken immediately to hand Pegula an early advantage.
Jessica Pegula dominated Ann Li, breaking her three more times after the initial break to wrap up the first set 6-1 in just 25 minutes. Li struggled to find her rhythm, and Pegula's precise shots left her opponent with few opportunities to counterattack.
In the second set, Pegula continued her strong performance, breaking Li in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Li's serve proved no match for Pegula's aggressive returns, and she sealed her quarterfinal spot with a decisive break in the eighth game. Pegula's backhand service return down the line was unstoppable, allowing her to break Li to love and secure the win 6-1, 6-2.
Match Statistics:
- Pegula's Dominant Serve: Won 73% of first-serve points and 50% of second-serve points
- Li's Struggles: Failed to hold serve four times, committing 23 unforced errors
- Match Duration: 54 minutes
Pegula's victory sets up a quarterfinal matchup against Barbora Krejcikova, who fought back from a set down to defeat Taylor Townsend 1-6, 7-6 (13), 6-3 [6].
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