"It’s so mentally draining" - Jessica Pegula reveals why she refuses to stay in the same hotel as her fellow players during tournaments

Jessica Pegula recently opened up about why she refuses to stay in the same hotel as her fellow players during competitions. The American explained that staying in tournament hotels was a ‘mentally draining’ experience and highlighted how that could affect performance.

Pegula has been competing on the WTA circuit for 15 years now and has risen to the top of the rankings in recent years. The 31-year-old’s 2025 has seen her win the ATX Open and the Charleston Open, while reaching the finals of the Miami Open. Credit to her impressive performances, the tennis star is currently the World No.3.

Recently, in an interview with Tennis.com, Jessica Pegula opened up about how important a proper hotel is to her rise to the top. The American highlighted that being away from her fellow players is one of the main reasons she chooses not to stay in tournament hotels, saying,

“Being away from everyone else is a massive thing for me. I think that’s what maybe sparked this, as well. I just felt like, ‘I can’t do [player hotels] anymore!’

Explaining her decision, Pegula added that constantly being around the people you work with can be draining.

“When you’re staying at a tournament hotel, I feel like it’s so mentally draining. It’s not like anyone is a problem. But if you were going to work with someone, you wouldn’t necessarily want to eat breakfast with them, practice with them, be in the gym, have lunch, go to the locker room and the physio room with them, and then see them in all the elevators and the hallways.” “I don’t think people realize that shouldn’t happen, not with the people you’re working and competing with every single week. We play pretty much every week together, and so, all of that together, you’re ready to lose it,” she added.

Earlier this year, Pegula signed with World of Hyatt as their ambassador, and has since opted to stay with the luxury hotel brand while competing.

Jessica Pegula set to take on Emma Navarro at Bad Homburg

Pegula at the Bad Homburg Open (Image Source: Getty)

On the tennis end of things, Jessica Pegula is currently competing at the Bad Homburg Open. The American began her grass courts season earlier this month at the Berlin Open, where she failed to defend her title after a second round exit against Liudmila Samsonova.

Recovering from that loss, Pegula got her campaign in German off to a strong start as she claimed a 6-2, 6-3 win over Kateřina Siniaková in her round of 16 match.

Up next, Jessica Pegula will take on compatriot Emma Navarro in her quarterfinals clash at the Homburg Open. The duo last played each other at the 2024 Miami Open, where Pegula emerged victorious in straight sets.

Edited by Riddhi Acharya