Jessica Pegula: a hotel stay can “make or break” a major tournament

As a top-ranked tennis player, Jessica Pegula splits her time between two places most of the year.

“We’re either on the court, or we’re in the hotel room,” said the world No. 3, expressing surprise at how rarely she and her fellow athletes are asked about the latter.

“It’s such a big part of our lives, and as I’ve gotten older, a good hotel has become more of a priority,” she continued. “When you’re 20 and you’re just starting to travel, you’re not complaining that much: you’re more out there grinding and embracing life on tour. Once you hit 30 and kind of need a better pillow, that stuff honestly becomes really important!”

Read more: How Pegula balances nutrition and sanity while eating on tour

Pegula has found the perfect pillow—and more—since becoming a World of Hyatt Ambassador. The partnership marks an official move away from the tournament hotel experience, one that had become as much of a grind as the 11-month season itself.

“Oh my gosh, being away from everyone else is a massive thing for me,” she exclaimed. “I think that’s what maybe sparked this, as well. I just felt like, ‘I can’t do [player hotels] anymore!’

“When you’re staying at a tournament hotel, I feel like it’s so mentally draining. It’s not like anyone is a problem. But if you were going to work with someone, you wouldn’t necessarily want to eat breakfast with them, practice with them, be in the gym, have lunch, go to the locker room and the physio room with them, and then see them in all the elevators and the hallways. I don’t think people realize that shouldn’t happen, not with the people you’re working and competing with every single week. We play pretty much every week together, and so, all of that together, you’re ready to lose it!”

Though Pegula has plenty of friends on tour—she’s been binging Secret Lives of Mormon Wives at the behest of Madison Keys, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawczyk—the time spent at her homes away from home has become all the more precious after over 15 years on tour, time she feels can “make or break” a week at a tournament.

“There is no better motivation than having a nice hotel,” said Pegula, who stayed close to the Champs-Élysées during Roland Garros. “You’re in a better mood. You sleep better, you wake up better, you’re eating better. Everything. I’m not saying you’re going to win every single match, but when you go out on court and do everything you need to do, I think having a nice accommodation, a nice stay definitely makes everything easier.”

Staying in 20-odd hotels a year has made Pegula and her fellow players experts in hospitality—and keepers of numerous hotel horror stories.

“I remember this place in England where there was nothing around the shower,” recalled Pegula. “So, you were just showering with the toilet and the sink, and there was just a drain in the middle. I just didn’t understand it. I was like, ‘I can’t even take a shower here. I’m so grossed out.’ That wasn’t great, so I remember that, specifically. I won’t name and shame, and I don’t write bad reviews, either. I just keep it to myself, or share with friends for fun.”

Pegula divulged some of her hotel no-no’s in the comment section of the Nothing Major podcast’s Instagram, later revealing the importance of a player whisper network when it comes to hotel recommendations.

Look, you’re playing every single week, and the traveling can get long and monotonous. It can really wear you down. So, a nice stay, a nice place to be at, it definitely lifts your spirits. Jessica Pegula

“People definitely talk on tour,” said Pegula. “All players kind of know certain locations, or if there’s multiple hotels, they might say, ‘Try not to stay at that one because I had a bad experience. This one’s way nicer.’ Sometimes you don’t know what you’re signing up for.”

A good pillow, a full gym and a strong breakfast menu makes up Pegula’s holy trinity of amenities, and the 2024 US Open finalist is happy to sacrifice an extra 10-15 minutes in tournament transport for a good hotel spa.

“I’m a big skincare person, so being able to fit those little things in are always nice,” she said. “Being married and having my husband come with me more often, I obviously like if he can come to nicer spots. It makes it more exciting when he can come on the road and feel like we’re experiencing things together instead of just trying to make it through a week where the rooms are small and he’s kind of tall, and he can’t fit in the shower!”

Pegula also prefers a stay closer to the city center, particularly in the tourist-friendly cities home to the sport’s biggest tournaments.

“That way, you’re not just living in your room and get kind of lazy because you don’t want to take a 20-minute taxi,” she said, adding with a laugh, “Convenience is a huge part of it, and I don’t know if that’s just me being American, but convenience is huge.”

Fresh off a fourth-round finish in Paris, the Buffalo-born, Boca-based Pegula next heads to London where a sixth main-draw appearance at Wimbledon—and an “unmatched itinerary” courtesy of Hyatt—awaits.

“Look, you’re playing every single week, and the traveling can get long and monotonous. It can really wear you down. So, a nice stay, a nice place to be at, it definitely lifts your spirits.”