"Didn't want to look back and be like, ‘Maybe I should have tried someone else’" – Jessica Pegula on split with coach ahead of Indian Wells 2024
Jessica Pegula has opened up about her split with coach David Witt after nearly five years of association.
Pegula started training under Witt in July 2019 after the latter parted ways with Venus Williams. She had been struggling to break into the Top 50 at the time but achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 3 under Witt.
The American, however, announced an end to her partnership with Witt last month following a second-round exit from the Australian Open 2024. She is currently working with Mark Knowles, a former World No. 1 in doubles, and Mark Merklein.
In a recent press conference at the Indian Wells Masters 2024, the 30-year-old reflected on her decision and claimed that she made the change because she wanted to 'take some chances'.
"I just felt like I needed to take some chances. Not that being 30 is the end - I think I just didn't want to look back and be like, 'Maybe I should have tried someone else, or tried something different'," she said.
Pegula continued:
"David and I had a lot of success and what we were able to accomplish together was pretty amazing but I think having started with him when I was maybe 25, and then being 30 this year, I think I'm just in a much different place – a different ranking, a different place personally and career-wise."
Pegula has four singles titles to her name but has never reached a singles Grand Slam semi-final in her career so far.
Jessica Pegula: "I didn't want to feel too comfortable; I think being uncomfortable makes you learn new things"
Further, during the same press conference at Indian Wells Masters 2024, Jessica Pegula suggested that she parted ways with David Witt to get out of her comfort zone.
"I think it was just more to keep pushing myself, and I didn't want to feel too comfortable. I kind of wanted to change things up, and I think being uncomfortable makes you learn new things and pushes you in new directions and can be really helpful," Jessica Pegula said.
The New York native continued:
"Obviously, I'd been successful, it’s not like I'd been losing and I needed to change something. More or less, it was just me wanting to make a change and I felt like it came pretty naturally. It wasn't anything bad, it was just more me starting a little bit of a new chapter in my career."
As the fifth seed, Pegula has already received a bye in the first round in Indian Wells and is scheduled to face Russia's Anna Blinkova in a second-round battle on Saturday, March 9.