Jessica Pegula cracks Serena Williams joke to Aryna Sabalenka after Cincinnati final

Jessica Pegula might have misplaced the Cincinnati last however that did not cease her from cracking jokes afterward as she funnily advised Aryna Sabalenka that it felt like she was certainly taking part in Serena Williams. 

After beating Paula Badosa within the semifinal and being requested about “taking part in Aryna subsequent,” Pegula stopped for a second – had a surprised look on her face – earlier than revealing she thought the interviewer dropped “Serena” as an alternative of Aryna. The second shortly went viral as many had an ideal snicker. 

EDITOR’S PICKS

Q: ‘What are your ideas going into such an epic last in opposition to Aryna?’

[Pegula pauses, looking like she’s seen a ghost]

Pegula: ‘Erm, I believed you stated *Serena*’

Krasny: ‘Yeah, so here is a shock, girls and gents, Serena…’

Pegula: ‘I imply, you by no means know’ [laughs] pic.twitter.com/coMbvlR6so

— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) August 18, 2024

And after taking up Sabalenka on Sunday and dropping 3-6 5-7, the American tennis star recounted her humorous second from a day earlier.

“You had talked about [Aryna Sabalenka], and I believed you stated [Serena Williams], but it surely felt like Serena at the moment, uh with the way in which you have been serving there for just a little bit so I do not know, I’ll have might have needed Serena as an alternative of Aryna at the moment,” Pegula stated whereas conducting her interview on the courtroom.

Pegula’s elegant message to Sabalenka

For each Pegula and Sabalenka, it was their first Cincinnati last. However after the ultimate was over, it was the Belarusian who lifted her first Cincinnati title and her sixth WTA 1000 title – Pegula stays on three titles at that stage.

“However congrats to you. I imply, clearly, you and your group over there, I do know you guys are clearly an ideal group and uh, put collectively a variety of arduous work and you’ve got had wonderful outcomes. And um, yeah, I imply simply hold going. It is cool to see and I am positive we’ll have many extra battles. It is at all times a problem taking part in you… um, congrats, once more,” Pegula added.

Curiously, Pegula achieved one Williams milestone in Cincinnati. After reaching back-to-back finals in Toronto and Cincinnati, 30-year-old Pegula joined Williams on the record of gamers who’ve managed to achieve the finals of Toronto/Montreal and Cincinnati in the identical 12 months.