A win in 61 minutes, then a rant
Jessica Pegula got the job done quickly on Thursday. Then she had plenty to say.
The American, world No. 3, reached the third round of the US Open by beating fellow American Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1. Afterwards she was asked about the growing number of influencers in the stands at Flushing Meadows. Her answer made far more noise than the match.
She is not arguing with the idea itself. Pegula accepts that the tournament has built an entire experience around food, drink, activities and shops, and that it pulls in crowds. The problem, she says, starts elsewhere.
Try it for $0.99.
The phone and the light
What she is targeting is the courtside filming, the lit-up phones and the ring lights going off during points. On court there are players trying to win a match. This is their career, their livelihood. She calls it “a little disrespectful”.
In her view the line has been crossed this year. She is not asking for these guests to disappear. She is asking for the noise to stop interfering with the rallies.
None of this is new in New York. The tournament has made entertainment a key part of its strategy and is happy to sell more than tennis. The question is how far it wants to go.
Medvedev sees it the other way round
Two hours later, Daniil Medvedev took the opposite view. The Russian believes influencers bring far more benefits than drawbacks to the tournament. The locker room is not exactly united here.
Pegula is already focused on the next round. She faces Leylah Fernandez, whom she describes as a tough opponent: a left-hander, very aggressive, able to change direction and find angles, a strong returner and not afraid to come forward.
The Canadian reached the US Open final in 2021 and played well last year before losing to Aryna Sabalenka. Pegula says it is a huge test for both players. The sort of match where one badly timed flash from a phone could cost dearly.
Discover more TENNIS news on our mathodds website and app!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply