From Althea Gibson to today, Pegula reflects on tennis’ enduring connection

NEW YORK -- At some point, the faces in the autograph line change.

Jessica Pegula remembers being the young fan who got Lindsay Davenport’s autograph. Now Davenport is her Billie Jean King Cup captain. Billie Jean King, meanwhile, is someone Pegula knows she “could text or call … any time I wanted to.”

Pegula was pleased with her performance after a 6-3, 6-1 win over Sofia Kenin that sent her into the US Open third round for a seventh straight year. There was little drama to unpack from Wednesday's 56-minute match.

But later in the press conference, when the conversation turned to Althea Gibson’s legacy and the growing diversity of American tennis, Pegula offered a more personal reflection on the generations of players who shaped the sport she knows.

Last year marked 75 years since Gibson broke the color barrier at the U.S. National Championships, becoming the first Black player to compete in the event that would become the US Open. She would go on to win 11 Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles and mixed doubles, including consecutive singles championships at Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals in 1957 and 1958.

Her impact, Pegula said, can also be measured in the players who saw more possibility in the sport because of her.

“She probably inspired many different diverse individuals to see that, hey, you can also play, too,” Pegula said. “When you look at that, you also wonder how much she inspired Serena and Venus, who are now just two iconic figures of our sport, and how that inspired me. When I was younger, I always rooted for Venus and Serena when I watched them on TV.”

Pegula grew up rooting for Venus and Serena Williams on television. Now, she sees herself as one link in the same chain -- a player shaped by the people who came before her and conscious that a child standing near the practice court or waiting at the rope line might be watching her in the same way.

"It's crazy how, at least for me personally, I think as I have gotten older, I have realized how important it is to inspire that next generation,” Pegula said, "because perspective-wise, you always go back to you when you were a kid -- who did you look up to."

The brief exchanges that can seem routine during a tournament carry a different meaning from that vantage point.

“I just always have to keep that going as best I can, whether it’s talking to kids or signing those autographs, because you never really know who that next person is going to be,” Pegula said. “I was one of those.”

Pegula will play Leylah Fernandez on Friday for a place in the fourth round.