World No. 5 American tennis player Jessica Pegula shared her thoughts on the so-called “toxic philosophy” in tennis, where winning a Grand Slam is often seen as the ultimate measure of a player’s career.
“I think a lot of people judge careers solely based on Grand Slams. For someone who doesn’t follow tennis closely, winning one Slam automatically means you’ve had an incredible career. But more experienced fans often think the opposite and say things like, ‘She only won one Slam and nothing else.’
“There’s also the other side: players who may never have won a Slam but have had amazing careers – they’ve won plenty of tournaments and been incredibly consistent. In my opinion, there are so many gray areas here. Of course, I want to win a Grand Slam, but I also think I don’t want it to be a one-time success. I don’t want to feel like I just had two incredible weeks and then disappeared. I want it to be part of a solid, stable career.
“There are players who have won a Slam and then struggled with the pressure afterwards. Especially if it happens very early, in your youth – it must be really tough,” Pegula said during a press conference.
