Pegula making up for lost time in Adelaide

Jessica Pegula will get off to a running start for the 2025 tennis season, with the world number seven determined to get the most out of her week at the ATP-WTA Adelaide International.

The American who finished runner-up at the US Open to Aryna Sabalenka four months ago,

will be playing her first match in the second round at Memorial Drive after a bye as play begins on Monday.

The 30-year-old leads the pre-Australian Open field ahead of compatriot Emma Navarro, with two-time finalist Daria Kasatkina seeded third. Holder Jelena Ostapenko is seeded eighth.

Pegula delayed her season start by a week to deal with a knee problem which bothered her in two losing group matches at November’s WTA Finals in Riyadh..

“My off-season was pretty good,” she said on Saturday.”I was battling a knee injury and I needed the extra week off. But I’m feeling good and all is well.”

Pegula, who finished with a  disappointing Australian Open second-round loss last year after three consecutive quarter-finals, reached the semi-finals here a year ago on her debut, losing to Kasatkina.

She said that even with her New York Grand Slam final four  months in the past, “it’s funny how it feels like last week – tennis is weird.

“I’m just hoping to make a good start this year. The US Open final is a nice fresh memory and I hope it stays that way”

Main photo:- Jessica Pegula celebrates at US Open by Mark Greenwood International Sports Fotos Ltd