"Super special, super important" - Jessica Pegula excited for United Cup 2023 campaign alongside Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys and others
Jessica Pegula arrived in Sydney, Australia ahead of Thursday's start of Team USA's campaign in the inaugural United Cup and is raring to get going. The World No. 3 will lead her country's charge in the official ATP-WTA mixed-team event alongside other big names such as Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe, and expressed her excitement at getting started Down Under as part of a star-studded team in a 'special' year.
With ultimate success at the Australian Open as her biggest goal in Australia, Pegula will compete in the United Cup to find her feet in the new season and also help her country become the first-ever United Cup winner. She is scheduled to play her first match of the season on Friday in a blockbuster clash against the Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova.
Just before she embarked on her journey to Australia, an excited Pegula looked forward to her United Cup campaign and the start of the 2023 season, which also signals the 50th anniversary of the WTA.
"It's going to be a lot of fun. It's the first-ever United Cup. It's also the 50th anniversary for the WTA, which is really exciting, and I can't wait to get down there and see all the fans and kind of help bring in the new year," Jessica Pegula said in a video shared by the United Cup on social media.
Can confirm, @JLPegula is officially Down Under 😌
We can't wait to see the world No.3 in action with Team USA 🇺🇸
#UnitedCup https://t.co/iKn3DgiNSt
She also highlighted that being part of a mixed-team event alongside other big names in American tennis is a "super special" and important occasion, and she aims to make the most of it.
"It's going to be a lot of fun, I got Madi (Madison Keys), Dez (Krawczyk), Alicia (Parks) on my team. And then also, for the men's side, we have Taylor (Fritz), Frances (Tiafoe), Denis (Kudla), and Hunter (Reese). So, it's going to be a lot of fun, men and women playing on the same team, super special, super important. So we can't wait to get down there," she further expressed.
Who will Jessica Pegula's Team USA face at United Cup 2023?
Team USA will start their 2023 United Cup campaign in Sydney against the Czech Republic on Thursday. Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys will be in action first up against Jiri Lehecka and Marie Bouzkova, respectively, in two singles matches.
Jessica Pegula will play her first singles match on Friday against two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. She could then be seen in doubles action later on Friday as she is also the most accomplished doubles player on the team.
Meanwhile, Frances Tiafoe will play his first singles match on Friday against Tomas Machac. The American team will then play their first matches in the new year as they take on Germany on Monday, January 2, with Fritz and Keys starting proceedings once again. Pegula will play her second singles match of the 2023 United Cup on Tuesday, January 3, against Laura Siegemund.
If Team USA gets through the group stage, they will play in the semifinals next.