Jessica Pegula is continuing her busy season at the Cincinnati Open, where she is now into the third round.
Pegula lost her second match at the Canadian Open earlier this month, but is now back to winning ways at the Cincinnati Open.
The American defeated Australian Kimberly Birrell 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament, having received a bye in round one.
Fourth seed Pegula, currently ranked fourth in the world, now takes on 31st seed Magda Linette in the third round.
She is using the tournament as preparation for the US Open, a tournament in which she reached the final in 2024.
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty ImagesJessica Pegula shares when she could retire from tennis
The 31-year-old will be aiming for another lengthy run this time around, although she has been involved in retirement talk on the Tennis Insider Club.
When asked if she sees her tennis career going on much longer, Pegula replied: “Yeah, I think the one year [2024] I definitely felt burnt out.
“This year has been much better, I am more excited to travel. I’m not jumping up and down to travel but I’m appreciating being in Madrid, thinking it’s a nice city, I didn’t get to come here last year as I was hurt and I kind of miss it.
“So I think this year I feel really good. I honestly feel like it’s a year-to-year thing. I don’t think you can get ahead of yourself.
“It’s like do I feel healthy? Do I feel good this year? Do I feel I can still compete at a high level? Then yeah, I will keep playing.
“I will definitely not be playing at 35. I think that is where I for sure have to stop. I think it would be cool to maybe try and make the Olympics because it’s in LA in a couple of years.”
How Jessica Pegula’s retirement thoughts left Coco Gauff ‘mad’
The Olympic Games make their way to Los Angeles in 2028, but it remains to be seen if Pegula will still be competing by then.
She would, of course, receive huge support from the American fans, as would her compatriot Coco Gauff.
READ MORE: Lindsay Davenport shares the ‘hot take’ she has about Jessica Pegula ahead of the US Open this year
And Pegula referenced the world number three during her retirement discussion, with Gauff desperate for her fellow American to still be active when LA 2028 arrives.
Pegula explained: “I think I was talking to Coco and she was like you can play until LA. She was mad at me because I was like maybe a couple more years, and she was like if you’re going to play two more years you might as well play another year for the LA Olympics.
“She was like you can’t retire before then! This was like a year before, and I was like four years, that’s a long time. I will be 34. What are you talking about?
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
“She was like you can just stay top 20, with the way you hit the ball you will be fine. I am not letting you retire before the LA Olympics, especially if I’m qualified!
“I was like you won’t even be 25 yet, you still can’t rent a car! And I think if you want to have kids you can’t wait that long.
“I definitely don’t want to have kids and then come back. I think when I have a kid, I’m done. I admire the women that do that, but that is just not [for me].”
Such women truly deserve the utmost respect for returning to tennis after having children, many of whom have gone on to really impress.
The likes of Serena Williams, Petra Kvitova, Naomi Osaka, Kim Clijsters, Belinda Bencic and many more belong in that admirable category.