Jessica Pegula taps into stamina, "super powers" to book Charleston final return

CHARLESTON—"After watching her this week in Charleston, I'm convinced Jessica Pegula has magical powers,” Chris Evert tweeted after the defending champion rallied once more to reach the Credit One Charleston Open final.

The defending champion has had to win four three-set matches this week, trailing 0-2 in the final set of all four before emerging victorious. This time it was against fellow American Iva Jovic, herself in the midst of a career-best stretch after reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals, but evidently Pegula had just enough magic to pull off another comeback, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3.

“I guess my super power for this week is, I don't know, maybe my stamina, my mental fortitude,” Pegula said, giving a more academic assessment of Evert’s tweet. “I don't know what it is, but, yeah, I guess that's a big compliment coming from Chrissie.

“So, I think, yeah, maybe also like cat with nine lives. I've heard that a few times, too. I do feel a bit more like that than a super power, to be honest. Maybe just a little lucky.”

Pegula has made a lot of her own luck since last summer, reaching at least the quarterfinals of every tournament she’s entered since the 2025 US Open. Champion earlier this year at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Pegula has a chance to win a second title this season against surprise finalist Yuliia Starodubtseva.

Starodubtseva, 26, shocked Pegula’s countrywoman Madison Keys to reach the biggest final of her career.

“She played pretty lights out today, it seems like,” Pegula said in her post-match press conference. “I'm kind of taking a mental couple hours before I have to tap into kind of maybe watching some of her matches and see what she's done really well and what she's been doing here too.”

Where Keys felt she could have served better in Saturday’s semifinal, Pegula has been able to rely on a consistent delivery throughout the week, boasting an addition eight miles-per-hour on average since last year.

“It wasn't really like super intention as far as like I wasn't necessarily working on it,” Pegula clarified. “I'm always working a little bit on placement and getting my serve bigger, but it kind of just happened naturally with all the stuff that we've been working on. I haven't really changed much, to be honest, as far as using my legs or my motion. It's really more just, I think, using my hand. And I have a pretty live arm. And so I've always thought my serve could be much bigger for my size, because with my arm being pretty live for all tall I am.

“So, I've always kind of been like, ‘Why isn't my serve bigger?’ So, we've had to figure out certain ways to kind of tap into that. And, yeah, I don't know. It's worked, I guess.”

As she closes in on a second straight title in Charleston, Pegula is optimistic she has one more match in her, one that would cap off an impressive—if at times effortful—start to her clay-court season.

“I definitely try to use my experience, and I think that is something that can't necessarily be taught. That's something that you have to go through, and I've definitely gone through a lot and gained so much experience and try to use it as a confidence boost, not so much as a negative thing.”

Pegula and Starodubtseva will face off earlier than expected due to the inclement weather forecasted in Charleston, scheduled for not before 1PM, local time.