Jessica Pegula reveals exactly why American players cannot escape getting negatively impacted by US Open schedule

Jessica Pegula opened up about the difficulties in scheduling high-ranked Americans face at the US Open. At the 2025 edition of the New York Major, Pegula is seeded fourth.

Ahead of the 2025 US Open, the premiere episode of The Player's Box podcast was recorded by hosts Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawczyk. In one of their initial discussions, the players talked about scheduling.

They explained that players could request the supervisor for specific match days, though such requests were rarely granted. On the same topic, Pegula shared the scheduling challenges faced by higher-ranked Americans.

Since it’s a home Slam, American players, especially higher-ranked ones, are often placed in the night session slots because those matches draw bigger crowds and more TV viewers.

"But I think going into the US Open, you know, as an American, if you're higher ranked, like you're probably going to get slotted. Especially if you play somebody who has a lot of buzz around it. You're going to be nightmatch at some point. So, you kind of have to just deal with it," Jessica Pegula said.

She explained that this can be tough because playing at night disrupts routine. If you win, you might end up scheduled at night again the very next day, which makes it harder to stay consistent.

"I think you just have to roll with it. But just know that if you're an American, you'll probably be playing late at some point," she added.

At the event, Pegula marched onto the second round by completing a commanding victory over Egypt's Mayar Sherif 6-0, 6-4. Meanwhile, her compatriot and co-host, sixth seed Keys, was handed an upset by Renata Zarazua. The Mexican won 6-7(10), 7-6(3), 7-5.

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"Waiting all day, opening day, is nerve-wracking" - Jessica Pegula after her US Open 2025 1R win

Jessica Pegula at the 2025 US Open - Source: Getty

Jessica Pegula was scheduled to play last at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Day 1 of the 2025 US Open. It meant that she played after Novak Djokovic played against Learner Tien in the first match of the night session.

Luckily for Pegula, the Serb completed his match in straight sets, winning 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2. She walked on to the court to play against Mayar Sherif at a decent hour and ran away with the first set before completing a 6-0, 6-4 win.

After the match, in her on-court interview, Pegula said:

"I was really happy that I started off really quick,’’ Pegula said. “I think coming out for the second night match, waiting all day, opening day, is nerve-wracking... So I’m glad I came out really fast and gave myself a nice cushion, I guess you could say. But then it flipped really quickly."

Up next for Pegula is a second-round clash against Anna Blinkova. It will be the sixth match between the rivals on tour, with the American leading their head-to-head 4-1.