"I just get super paranoid" - Jessica Pegula reveals 'stressful' reality of doping tests after Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek's controversies

Jessica Pegula has opened up about the stressful reality of undergoing doping tests. Last year, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek faced suspensions for doping violations.

The Italian and the Pole faced brief suspensions for a small period of time. The former was banned for three months earlier this year, after testing positive for a banned substance. Swiatek faced a month-long suspension in the second half of the 2024 season after her case, which involved a contaminated medication.

Following these incidents, Pegula also opened up about the stressful reality of doping tests in the latest episode of 'The Player's Box.' Pegula, Madison Keys, and Jennifer Brady discussed the doping procedure, stating that it was stressful. Opening up about how she took care of the doping tests and how it made her paranoid, she said:

"I also take a while cuz you have to list all of like if you anything that you're taking or whatever. And I'm like super diligent about that. I'm like, Advil, Tylenol. I list everything because it's just like I don't know. You see like all these stories and I just get super paranoid. Its' so stressful and then they don't send you like a 'oh you're clean.' It's just you would only get notified I'm assuming if you failed." (20:00 onwards)

She added:

"So, like it's stressful when they send you like the text or the email like you have a new message in your mailbox regarding. It's so terrible, it's so stressful. And then just having to remember that whether you're in competition, so when you're playing an event or out of competition, marking your hour every single day for the rest of your life pretty much. It's a lot."

Along with this, Pegula and Madison Keys shared heartfelt anecdotes about Ben Shelton and other American players.

Jessica Pegula shares her honest opinion on playing tennis after motherhood

In one of the episodes of the podcast, 'The Players Box,' Jessica Pegula opened up about handling her tennis career following motherhood. When asked by Jennifer Brady if she would consider her tennis career after becoming a mother, Pegula immediately nodded a 'no,' revealing that it was not on the cards for her.

"No. There is no chance I would come back after having a kid. I admire and respect the ones that do but that's just not on the cards for me. I cannot see myself doing that at all," said Jessica Pegula. (from 11:59)

Echoing Jessica Pegula's thoughts, Madison Keys also said that she won't continue her pro career, as it would be 'hard' for her to handle.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam