No added pressure of No. 3 ranking, says Pegula

[March 13, 2023]   (Reuters) - American Jessica Pegula still finds it "weird" to think of herself as the world number three but the 29-year-old said she no longer feels any additional pressure to live up to her career-high ranking.

Pegula broke into the top 10 at Roland Garros last year and rose to third after winning her first WTA 1000 title in Guadalajara in October.

Mar 12, 2023; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Anastasia Potapova (RUS) hits a shot in her fourth round match against Jessica Pegula (USA) in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

She has reached the quarter-finals at four of the last five Grand Slams but is yet to break through to the semis, falling short again at the Australian Open in January.

"Maybe at first I felt a little bit of pressure," Pegula said on Sunday after her 3-6 6-4 7-5 win over Russia's Anastasia Potapova at Indian Wells. "People talk about you more, you become a favourite more.

"I'm good at just thinking one match at a time, I think that's helped where I haven't really felt too much pressure as being top five. It's so weird to think at I'm three in the world. I don't even like to say it, it's awkward.

"When I'm out there, that doesn't really enter my mind. I'm very good at just not taking that part for granted or not overthinking that."

Pegula will face twice Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova for a place in the Indian Wells quarter-finals.

(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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