Jessica Pegula discloses turning to Taylor Fritz for crucial gaming advice as she admits his superior skills
American tennis star Jessica Pegula had fans buzzing after she admitted who holds the upper hand in the gaming world between her and fellow top-ranked compatriot Taylor Fritz. The light-hearted confession came just as Pegula clinched a spot in her third straight semifinal at the 2024 Credit One Charleston Open.
The top seed in the Charleston draw, Pegula earned a first-round bye and powered past Iryna Shymanovich and Ajla Tomljanovic before staging a strong comeback against defending champion Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals. Despite dropping the first set 1-6, Pegula turned the tide with a 6-3, 6-0 finish.
The American tennis star will take on ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova for a spot in the championship match, where she could meet eighth seed Amanda Anisimova or Sofia Kenin.
During her post-match interview with Tennis Channel’s Steve Weissman, Pegula opened up about her recent collaboration with Call of Duty: Mobile, where she features in the game’s “Make it Mythic” campaign. When asked who the better gamer was between her and Taylor Fritz, Pegula humbly passed the crown to her compatriot.
"Oh, I would assume him, like, I usually go to him for gaming advice—especially when it comes to traveling. I was thinking about getting a gaming laptop, so I asked him, 'What do you use? What’s the best ones?' Since he travels a lot with his setup, I really trust his opinion," Pegula said.
Pegula also revealed that her sister Kelly has been giving her a run for her money in Call of Duty battles, saying:
"Kelly definitely puts in more hours than I do. We go back and forth a lot. She played during college, and we’ve been on Call of Duty for a while now. We took a little break, but we’re back at it on the PS5. Honestly, she’s been outplaying me lately because she’s been logging more hours. I’ve got to step up my game!"
To cap off the segment, Weissman asked Pegula what mythical power she’d love to have on the court. Pegula replied:
"I don't know, super speed. I think that would come in handy on a tennis court. I was going to say flying, but honestly, i think the speed would probably help me better."
"I play a lot with my brothers, my friends, my husband for decompression" - Jessica Pegula
Jessica Pegula's passion for Call of Duty made it a natural choice to collaborate with the brand. She started playing games on consoles but shifted to mobile games during the COVID-19 pandemic when carrying heavy equipment became cumbersome.
"I play a lot with my brothers, my friends, my husband for decompression. I started playing way more during COVID -- there was a lot of downtime," Jessica Pegula said, via WTA Tennis. "I’m a big fan of the game."
"I used to travel with my PS4. The PS4 was pretty light and flat, so it packed easily. The PS5 is a little larger, a little round, a little awkward. That got me playing the mobile game," she added.
It is Pegula's first deal with a video game company and a historic move for women in tennis. She stated her ambition to bridge women's tennis with the gaming community:
"No one's really done [a video game activation in women's tennis], so I wanted to see if we could work our way into this different world."
Jessica Pegula's gaming interest also triggered discussions with other tennis players, most of whom, she commented, silently harbored the same enthusiasm.