"I have to choose her again" - Andy Roddick hopes to be "wrong" as he picks US Open 2024 winner between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula
Andy Roddick has predicted the winner of the 2024 US Open women's singles final between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula. However, he has also voiced his hope of being wrong with his prediction. Sabalenka and Pegula are set to contest for the women's singles crown at the prestigious hardcourt Major on Saturday, 7 September.
The World No. 2 Sabalenka has been in dominant form at this year's US Open, intent on improving on her runner-up finish last year. The Belarusian has brushed aside Priscilla Hon, Lucia Bronzetti, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Elise Mertens, Zheng Qinwen and Emma Navarro to reach the final. Only Alexandrova was able to take a set off of Sabalenka.
Jessica Pegula's run to the final has been similar, with the American also having dropped just one set at the hardcourt Major so far. The World No. 6 defeated Shelby Rogers, Sofia Kenin, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Diana Shnaider, World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and Karolina Muchova to reach the last hurdle.
Recently, former ATP World No. 1 and 2003 US Open men's singles champion Andy Roddick assessed the upcoming final between Sabalenka and Pegula on the Served With Andy Roddick podcast.
Roddick suggested that Jessica Pegula needs to work on her serve, particularly the second one if she is to have any chance of upsetting Sabalenka. The 42-year-old briefly revisited his past interactions with Pegula, which were aimed at improving her serve.
"When Jess (Pegula) and I have talked in the past, and it's like, 'what do we need to improve on serve?' and 'how do you go about it and the processes?' and it's like, she namechecks people like Swiatek and Sabalenka where it's like, 'I need a little bit more movement so I can get past that first strike and not get the racket taken out of my hands immediately.'," Roddick said.
The 2003 US Open men's singles winner went on to pick Aryna Sabalenka as the favorite for the title. However, he also hoped that he would be proved wrong by his compatriot Pegula.
"I chose Sabalenka from the start. I think I have to choose her again, just based on form. I hope I'm wrong," Roddick added.
Based on their WTA Tour head-to-head, Sabalenka certainly looks like the favorite on paper.
Jessica Pegula heading into the US Open 2024 final with a dismal head-to-head record against Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka has triumphed over Jessica Pegula on five of the seven occasions they have faced each other on the WTA Tour. The first of Pegula's two wins over the Belarusian came at the 2020 Cincinnati Open.
Since then, Sabalenka has almost always had the last laugh against the American. The only other win Pegula was able to muster came in the Round Robin phase of the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, where the American reached the final before losing to Iga Swiatek.
Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula's most recent meeting was the women's singles final at the 2024 Cincinnati Open. The Belarusian emerged victorious in straight sets (6-3, 7-5). However, one advantage that Pegula will definitely have during the 2024 US Open final is home support, which played a part in Sabalenka's loss to Coco Gauff in the final of the hardcourt Major last year.