“Usually I’m very nervous and I was a little bit today but I think I was the least nervous heading into the first round of a Grand Slam,” Coco Gauff admitted in her post-match interview recently at Roland Garros, offering a rare peek into the mental game behind the scenes. And to be honest, 1st rounds at Grand Slams are notorious for upsets; just ask Emma Navarro, who was stunned by 68th seed Bouzas Maneiro in a brutal 6-0, 6-1 defeat. Echoing this pressure-cooker reality, Jessica Pegula recently revealed the tense, almost eerie atmosphere inside the locker room before opening matches, proving once again the first round is anything but routine!

After missing last year’s Roland Garros due to injury, Jessica Pegula made a confident return to Paris, launching her 2025 French Open campaign with a commanding 6-2, 6-4 win over unseeded Anca Todoni. The 3rd seed and 2022 quarterfinalist showed no signs of rust, controlling rallies with precision and calm as she eased into the second round. 

Her performance reaffirmed her clay-court credentials, with her best results in Paris, including a quarterfinal finish and 3rd-round runs in 2021 and 2023, highlighting her growing consistency on the surface. But it wasn’t just her on-court poise that drew the much-needed attention. Speaking candidly after her match, Pegula offered rare insight into the emotional landscape of GS competition. 

Speaking candidly after her 1st-round win at Roland Garros, Jessica Pegula offered a rare and revealing glimpse into the locker room tension that builds before GS matches. Speaking to “Tennis Channel” host Prakash Amritraj, Pegula was asked about her pre-match rituals. But before diving into her routine, she revealed what it’s really like behind the scenes before players even step onto the court in first-round matches. “It’s funny. I was joking with someone the other day that I feel like everyone’s so tense before the first round. Like the teams are just like stressed, and like people are breaking down like left and right, and it’s you just got to love like the anxiety that is happening. It’s so funny,” she admitted.

However, despite the tension, Pegula relies on a structured and personal pre-match process to ground herself. “But pre-match routine. I honestly love to, like, I actually do all my, like, grip my own rackets and stuff like that. So I always like to put on my headphones, kind of get my bag ready, make sure I have an extra match outfit in there, make sure I have extra shoes, whatever. Do my hair, kind of get my kit right, grip all my rackets do my drinks. I like to do all that stuff myself because I don’t know; it’s like a fun thing for me to kind of focus on, and I put on my headphones and kind of zone out. So, kind of makes me feel like I’m preparing for battle, you know, so that always kind of zones me out,” she explained.

Well, the nerves Pegula just described are not unique to her experience. Carlos Alcaraz, the defending men’s champion, echoed similar feelings after his 1st-round match as well. “The first round of the tournament is never easy; coming here as the defending champion could be even tougher. But I just started pretty well and kept my good pace during the whole match. I tried to be focused on my game to get a good rhythm,” he shared.

And with her blend of honesty and calm preparation, Pegula not only reveals the human side of tennis but also sets the tone for what could be a deep run in Paris, in an unfamiliar Pegula tone at Paris.

Jessica Pegula targets Roland Garros 2025 glory despite setbacks

Since her breakthrough victory in Charleston, Jessica Pegula’s clay-court performance in 2025 has seen a downturn. She reached the QF in Stuttgart but exited early in Madrid and Rome, both in the R32. In Strasbourg, despite a strong start, she fell in the round of 16 to Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya. However, despite these setbacks, Pegula remains focused on regaining her rhythm before the grass season, placing great value on her opening-round win at Roland Garros.

Reflecting on her clay struggles later, Pegula shared her thoughts on the Tennis Channel interview after her first-round triumph. “I mean, I think it got better. It’s been a little up and down. I’ve had some kind of nagging injuries. Haven’t done nothing bad, and I feel like I’ve been playing good tennis, just haven’t quite gotten that momentum on clay. And you know this is my last chance to kind of hopefully get some momentum before we go into the grass. And I’ve had good results here,” she said.

Up next, the 3rd seed will face 24-year-old Ann Li in an all-American 2nd-round clash. With her confident start in Paris, fans are eager to see if Pegula can build momentum and secure a spot in the 3rd round. What are your predictions for the match?