"Danielle Collins is going to want to kill me" - Jessica Pegula banters with interviewer after setting up Charleston Open QF
Jessica Pegula had a rather hilarious verbal exchange with an interviewer about compatriot Danielle Collins at the ongoing 2025 Credit One Charleston Open. The funny moment came in the immediate aftermath of Pegula's 6-3, 6-2 win over Ajla Tomljanovic in the round of 16 of the WTA 500 event.
Soon after securing the victory against the Australian, Pegula gave her post-match, on-court interview. Here, the interviewer asked the American about Danielle Collins, who she is set to face in the quarterfinals in Charleston, in what should be a thrilling contest. Bizarrely, the interviewer mentioned Pegula and Collins' head-to-head, which is overwhelmingly in favor of the former (five wins for Pegula, none for Collins).
Upon listening to the question, a rather bewildered-looking Jessica Pegula wondered why the interviewer would bring up this statistic. The 2024 US Open runner-up playfully teased the interviewer, suggesting that if she loses to Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals in Charleston, she would consider it the interviewer's fault for jinxing her.
"Haha! Why would you say that? Like, I hope I win or it's your fault," Pegula said.
The interviewer turned apologetic for a while before Pegula explained that bringing up her one-sided head-to-head with Collins may motivate the latter to play her best in the quarterfinals.
"I'm sorry. I know I'm being hard on you, but seriously, you can't throw that out there. She's feisty. Now she's going to be mad at you and she's going to want to kill me," Pegula added.
Pegula and Collins' first-ever meeting was back in 2012, and their most recent clash came two years ago.
Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins' clashes over the years, summarized
The maiden meeting between Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins was a first-round qualifying clash at the 2012 Dow Corning Tennis Classic, which was played in Midland, United States. Pegula won the qualifying match 6-1, 6-2 and eventually reached the main draw of the 2012 ITF Women's Circuit event. It was upgraded to a WTA 125 tournament in 2021.
Next, they clashed in 2016 at a Charlottesville-based ITF Women's Circuit tournament. Here, Pegula registered a 6-4, 6-3 win in the Round of 16. Their next meeting came in the Round of 16 at the 2021 National Bank Open in Montreal. This marked the only match in the head-to-head in which Collins could clinch a set against Pegula. Despite this, the latter won 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.
The pair's two most recent meetings were played out in 2023. The first of them was in the Round of 32 at the Miami Open, which Pegula won 6-1, 7-6(0). Then, at the 2023 French Open, Pegula won her first-round match against Collins 6-4, 6-2. Collins happens to be the defending champion in Charleston.