"Ya, I’m thinking I’m back" - Jessica Pegula makes witty 'John Wick' reference as she celebrates Berlin 2024 triumph after injury comeback
Jessica Pegula was elated after winning the 2024 ecotrans Ladies Open in Berlin, just weeks following her injury comeback. The American celebrated her triumphant return to tour with a clever reference to an iconic dialogue from 'John Wick,' starring Keanu Reeves.
Pegula clinched her first title of the season at the WTA 500 event in Berlin, battling back from the brink of defeat to down Anna Kalinskaya in a thrilling final. After losing the closely contested opening set in a tiebreak, the World No. 5 rallied to claim the second set 6-4 and force a decider.
Facing a 4-1 deficit in the third set, the 30-year-old displayed her resilience to level the scores at 4-4 before eventually claiming a 6-7(0), 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over Kalinskaya after a riveting two-hour and 38-minute battle.
Jessica Pegula's victory was especially sweet as it marked her triumphant return to the tour during the grass season after prolonged injury struggles, which forced her to miss the Middle East swing and the European clay season, including the French Open.
Celebrating her victorious comeback on social media, the American echoed an iconic line spoken by the titular character in 'John Wick,' played by Keanu Reeves.
"Ya, I’m thinking I’m back 🏆 @berlinladiesopen," she captioned her Instagram post.
Jessica Pegula after Berlin 2024 triumph: "I've been through a lot this week, so if I could handle this, at Wimbledon I should feel pretty good"
With the 2024 Wimbledon Championships commencing on July 1, Jessica Pegula disclosed that winning her maiden grass title in Berlin has given her a confidence boost for the Major.
Having defeated Donna Vekic, Katerina Siniakova, Coco Gauff, and Anna Kalinskaya en route to the WTA 500 title, the World No. 5 asserted that these challenging matches, coupled with navigating the rain delays, have mentally prepared her for the challenges she is likely to face at Wimbledon.
"This is the most grass-court confidence that I've had probably going into Wimbledon. Hopefully that pays off as well. Being able to tough out a couple of matches and have a couple of long matches, especially for the body to get ready, and dealing with a lot of the rain delays too," she said.
"That's always possible at Wimbledon as well, so that was good prep mentally as well. I feel like I've been through a lot this week, so if I could handle this week I think at Wimbledon I should feel pretty good," she added.
Jessica Pegula will continue her preparations for the grasscourt Major at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne. Following a first-round bye, she will kick off her campaign against Emma Raducanu or Sloane Stephens.