Jessica Pegula won her first title of the season with a victory over Liudmila Samsonova in the final. She only took forty-nine minutes in the final to lift the trophy. Pegula showed her sportsmanship spirit by understanding that her opponent had to play two matches with few hours of rest in between. It was also an emotional moment for Pegula as the win meant so much more for the American.
Jessica Pegula expressed that she wanted to celebrate the title with her mother. Her mother had suffered a cardiac arrest last year and was recovering at home. Pegula said, “This year I haven’t gotten to talk to her yet, but she’s much more aware of what’s going on and in a much better place. So I think I’ll be able to share this more with her a little bit.” She then said that her mother must have watched the final with her family.
Jessica Pegula spoke about her mom after winning Montreal:
“I won Guadalajara last year which was the year the incident happened. This year we haven’t gotten to talk yet. She’s much more aware of what’s going on & in a much better place. I’m sure she watched & was very happy” 🥹 pic.twitter.com/L6hWu6978i
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 14, 2023
The 29-year-old has been keeping her rankings steady since the start of the year. She was ranked No.3 in January and can now expect to keep up the good form to reach the top of the rankings. Pegula was not her usual self after winning the title and securing the rankings spot. She did not celebrate much in the final, as her face looked as if she was missing something.
Jessica Pegula pays tribute to Dexter after her win at the Canadian Open
Pegula had won the Canadian Open and secured her No. 3 spot for a few more weeks. It was all good for the American, but the excitement was not seen on her face. She said that her dog, Dexter, had passed a few days before the start of the event. Pegula had posted about the loss at the end of July and shared a few of their photos.
The three-time tour title winner is an animal lover. She is the founder of Lending Paw, a nonprofit organization that tries to connect trained service animals to people who need them. Pegula and her husband, Taylor Gahagen, have multiple dogs, as Taylor is also an animal lover.
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Pegula dedicated her Montreal title to Dexter and thanked him for keeping a lookout from above. She said that her participation at the event was doubtful as she had been on the couch crying for two weeks. The American No. 1 can now spend time at home with her dogs and will rejoice in her memories of Dexter.