"You missed where the guy handed me a fresh one from the stringer" - Jessica Pegula reacts to the video of her smashing the racket at Cincinnati Open

Jessica Pegula lost her cool during her second-round match at the 2023 Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati on Wednesday, August 16.

The American No. 1 faced Martina Trevisan of Italy in the second round at Cincinnati after receiving a bye in the first. The match was a laborious one for Pegula, who had to come from behind to book her place in the third round.

Trevisan took the first set via a tiebreaker, and Jessica Pegula was visibly frustrated by her performance. She was filmed repeatedly smashing her racket during the changeover. The World No. 3 eventually won the match, 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-3.

The video of Pegula's racket smash went viral on social media, and the American herself reacted to it on Twitter. Pegula jokingly wrote that the camera did not capture what happened after her burst of anger.

She playfully stated that someone came behind her and handed her a new racket from the stringer.

"You missed where the guy came right after and handed me a fresh one from the stringer," Jessica Pegula jokingly wrote.

Pegula's campaign in Cincinnati ended in the next round as she lost to Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0. The 29-year-old was pegged as the favorite to lift the trophy as she entered the tournament after winning her second WTA 1000-level title at the Canadian Open.

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Jessica Pegula - "I feel a little bit more comfortable in the American No. 1 role"

Jessica Pegula

Jessica Pegula has been the US' top-ranked women's player for a while now and has overcome the pressure of such a position.

In a recent appearance on WTA Insider podcast Champions Corner, Pegula stated that she no longer feels the need to prove anything as the American No. 1 and has come a long way since her first tournament in the position, the 2022 US Open.

"The US Open was my first experience being a top-ranked American, all that stuff but yeah I would just say now, I feel a little bit more comfortable in that role," Pegula said.

She went on to add that her results on tour over the last year have helped her get more comfortable in her role as the No.1 American. These results include Pegula's triumphs at WTA 1000 tournaments like the 2022 Guadalajara Open and the 2023 Canadian Open.

"I have been winning for the past year now, so I am doing pretty well, so I think you just get over it a little bit, and you become more comfortable. I think you also hit that peak, so you don't really care as much," she continued.

Jessica Pegula will next compete at the US Open, where she will be seeded No. 3. The 29-year-old reached the quarterfinals at the US Open last year as the No. 8 seed, losing to eventual champion Iga Swiatek.