Pegula ready to return to European clay

After avoiding European clay – save the Paris Olympics – last season, Jessica Pegula is marking her return to the uncomfortable surface as she competes as third seed at the Rome Masters.

The American who excelled on hardcourt in 2024 with a Toronto Masters title and runner-up finishes in Cincinnati and the US Open, will make her start here after a bye.

The 31-year-old admitted on Wednesday that skipping an entire leg of the WTA season brings with it a unique set of problems.

“There’s so much pressure to perform at the end of the year. Obviously I ended up going on a crazy run in the summer.

“But you have to defend that next year. Then you have this (clay) swing where I have nothing to defend. I hope I can make up some ground to protect myself for the end of the year.”

Pegula added: “I’m just excited because I missed all of these events, I missed playing the French. A the same time I haven’t been here in two years. It feels like I was just here… and I didn’t even play last year.”