Jessica Pegula agrees with Frances Tiafoe's views of introducing basketball-like changes to tennis
Jessica Pegula agreed with Frances Tiafoe's comments on how certain rules in tennis could be modified to attract younger audiences.
Current tennis etiquette dictates that fans should maintain silence during points and should not change seats until players take breaks like changing ends. Tiafoe, however, claimed that fans should be allowed to speak and move during matches, which is the case in basketball.
"I think fans should be able to come and go and move around and speak during matches. Imagine going to a basketball game and not saying anything," he said.
When asked about Tiafoe's comments in her post-match press conference at the Miami Open, Pegula said that she didn't mind people moving or talking during points.
"I mean, I like it. I'm also, like, one of those people. I don't really get bothered if people are standing or yelling or talking, not yelling maybe. So I can see how, yeah, that's a cool way to look at it," Pegula said.
The WTA World No. 3 added that players like Tiafoe have a huge fanbase because of their personality and energy. She stated that such characters could help the sport.
"I think, yeah, to bring some personality to the sport, I think we have to start looking at some different things to touch a younger generation," she said.
"And guys like Foe who have so much personality and so much energy, they love it, and they have such an amazing fan base, and they have so many fans outside of tennis, I feel like because of his energy. So I think something that could compliment, that would really help the sport," she added.
Jessica Pegula isn't the first player to back Frances Tiafoe's statements, with Eugenie Bouchard also doing the same a while back.
Jessica Pegula will face Danielle Collins in Miami Open 2023 3R
Jessica Pegula booked her place in the third round of the Miami Open by beating Katherine Sebov 6-3, 6-1. She will next take on 30th seed Danielle Collins, who beat Viktoriya Tomova 7-6(3), 6-2 in her second-round fixture.
Pegula and Collins will lock horns for the second time on the WTA tour, with the former winning their previous encounter 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in the third round of the 2021 National Bank Open in Toronto.
Whoever wins the match will face either 14th seed Victoria Azarenka or 20th seed Magda Linette in the fourth round of the Miami Open.