The same racket that propels tennis players to glory is also often the one that bears the brunt of being smashed when its efforts land in a losing cause. However, Singles World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, the embodiment of calm, is seldom seen engaging in such racket-destroying incidents on the court, and never has she hit herself with it, as seen with two of her US compatriots, Coco Gauff and Madison Keys, during their matches at the ongoing US Open.

After her Round 4 victory over Sorana Cirstea, one of the questions Pegula was asked in her post-game press conference was about the rationale behind such incidents.

“Um, I have never actually done that,” Pegula said. “I do see a lot of players do. I don’t know. I just, looks like it hurts and I just don’t know. I’ve never done it, but I know some players do. And, yeah. No, I don’t know. Never really done it.”

During her third-round match against Cristina Bucsa, Coco Gauff found a unique way of venting her frustration, as the American used a ball to hit herself on the head when her Spanish opponent was giving her a tough challenge. Post-match, Gauff admitted that she was wrong about doing so. Her explanation? She didn’t want to break a racket, and hitting her head with a ball seemed like a decent alternative to vent, whichi in hindsight, she regretted.

“But I think it’s worse to hit yourself. I think I should just break the racket, honestly. Umm, and just take the fine,” Gauff said in the post-match press conference.

For Madison Keys, the situation painted a darker picture. As the American gave away a 5-0 lead in the deciding set against Zheng Qinwen, she became visibly agitated on court. At one point, after losing her service game to trail 6–5, Keys repeatedly hit her head with her racket as her unforced errors mounted.

The scene of players hitting themselves with their rackets has been a recurring theme in the sport in recent years, as players are hesitant to smash their rackets on the ground. Hefty fines and in-match code violations are in place to prevent racket abuse by players who have felt that hitting themselves is a way to get around the fines, something which Gauff alluded to in her press conference.

However, these incidents have not happened in isolation at the US Open. Gauff herself hit her head with the racket during her tough matches against Solana Sierra and Elina Svitolina in Rome this year. Mirra Andreeva was also seen hitting her head with the racket during the match against Barbora Krejcikova at Wimbledon this year.

Comparatively, Jessica Pegula is known for her calm on court, which has been a foundational element in her rise to the top of women’s tennis. The World No.3 has never hit herself with a racket, but had a rare moment of frustration when she smashed her racket against the player’s bench in her match against Martina Trevisan at the 2023 Cincinnati Open.

As for on-court performances, Pegula has been in top form at the US Open, but will need every bit of her calm demeanor if she has to go all the way, facing her compatriot Emma Navarro in the quarterfinals.

Navarro is having a resurgent season in 2026, after battling through injuries and health issues, and has put up a spirited performance at Flushing Meadows this year. The former US Open semifinalist started her campaign with hard-fought three-set wins over the likes of Lois Boisson and Caty McNally.

However, Navarro’s biggest win came in the third round, when she beat seventh-seeded Karolina Muchova in straight sets, followed by another straight-set victory over Anna Kalinskaya in the fourth round. On the other hand, Pegula has dropped only one set at the US Open this year, winning against the likes of Elena Gabriela-Ruse, Sofia Kenin, Leylah Fernandez, and Sorana Cirstea.

Pegula does have a 4-0 head-to-head record against Navarro, having beaten her in Cincinnati a few weeks ago. This mental edge, combined with her closeness to the World No. 1 crown, which will be possible for her if she wins the US Open and Elena Rybakina is sent packing before the semifinals, puts Pegula as the favorite in the quarterfinals clash.