Jessica Pegula Drowns Her Sorrows in a Honey Deuce After Losing US Open Semifinal

Jessica Pegula had an all-too-relatable reaction to losing to Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open semifinals.

The 31-year-old American tennis player fell short to world No. 1 Sabalenka on Thursday, Sept. 4, but Pegula won over fans with her charming post on X after the loss.

“When you lost 4 points on serve in the 3rd but you lost the match,” Pegula wrote in a post on X, adding a selfie showing her holding up a Honey Deuce, the popular cocktail that has become a staple at the tournament.

Ingredients of the cocktail include Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade and raspberry liqueur, and it is garnished with a skewer of three frozen honeydew melon balls that resemble tennis balls.

Pegula’s post was a hit with her fans, who told her she still made them proud despite the loss. One user wrote, “You’re so real for this,” and added, “you’ll be back.” Another wrote, “You played really well. Sabalenka had one of those nights unfortunately. Keep that head and enjoy that Honey Deuce !!!”

The official Adidas X account replied too: “When you’re still incredible and inspire thousands.”

After the loss, Pegula said she thought Sabalenka “upped her points” in the second set. Even though it felt “pretty even” in the third, Sabalenka “came up with some ridiculous” answers on the court, she told reporters.

“I didn’t feel like I did much wrong,” she said. “It seemed like the level was really high and we were pushing each other every single game.”

“When you play her, you have to serve well because she returns well and puts a lot of pressure on you,” Pegula added of Sabalenka. “I’m happy to put in the effort that I was able to put in tonight against the best player in the world right now.”

Ultimately, Pegula told reporters of the loss, “That’s tennis.”