Jessica Pegula’s 2025 clay court season isn’t going according to plan, and her most recent failure has left tennis fans utterly confused. Pegula, who was the top seed at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, crashed out of the tournament in her opening match after a bye in the first round.
Many fans expressed their worry about the American’s potential early exit at the fast-approaching French Open, owing to her string of losses.
Jessica Pegula Loses to Anna Kalinskaya in Strasbourg
Jessica Pegula faced Anna Kalinskaya in the second round of the Internationaux de Strasbourg on Wednesday, May 21. The players exchanged breaks in the opening two games, but the World No. 3 immediately responded with a decisive break to eventually secure a 6-4 lead. The following two sets were a different story.
Pegula looked poised for a straight-set victory after striking first in the third game of the second set. Kalinskaya, however, flipped the script to break the American back in the sixth game. She bagged the second set after breaking Pegula in the final game, 6-4.
Jessica Pegula was no match for Anna Kalinskaya in the final set as the 26-year-old rushed to victory with two breaks of serve. The final score read 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in Kalinskaya’s favor. It was her first win over the American in their four-match rivalry.
For Pegula, it was her fourth loss in seven matches. Interestingly, her sudden decline in form has come right after she won her first title on clay. The 31-year-old started her campaign on the surface by becoming the champion on the green clay of Charleston. Before that, she reached the final on the hard courts of Miami and won the title in Austin. Fans were thus left completely confused by her results on the European clay (Stuttgart, Madrid, Rome, and Strasbourg).
“lol what’s going on Jess? Her clay season hasn’t gone well at all. I guess she didn’t miss anything when she skipped it last year,” one fan said.
lol what’s going on Jess? Her clay season hasn’t gone well at all. I guess she didn’t miss anything when she skipped it last year. https://t.co/fxtIMTsVsr
— goatedwta over atp (@goatedwtaatp) May 21, 2025
It should be noted that Pegula largely missed last year’s clay court season due to a persistent neck injury. Thus, she had no points to defend on the surface after her Charleston glory.
“JPeg had so many chances of getting points this clay season…. she was literally defending nothing…” another fan said.
“My goodness she’s been awful on red clay this year. expecting a first week exit at RG,” one fan opined about her chances at the French Open.
“JPeg had such a good chance to become #2 after winning Charleston, but the last four events have not gone well for her at all. Can still get there at RG depending on the draw & how Gauff, Paolini, and Swiatek perform, but tough to imagine anything more than a QF at best for her,” one individual said.
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
Jessica Pegula Set to Be Seeded Third at French Open 2025
Jessica Pegula will hope to turn the corner at the French Open, where she’s set to be seeded third, behind Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff. She recently surpassed Iga Swiatek in the rankings for the first time, with the defending champion dropping to No. 5, courtesy of her forgettable results on red clay this season, just like Pegula.
Pegula, who broke her Grand Slam quarterfinal curse by reaching the 2024 US Open final in her seventh attempt at such a stage, would look to have a similar run in Paris as she chases her maiden Major and ninth career title.
Her best result at the tournament so far has been a final-eight appearance in 2023.