Jessica Pegula admitted that it was tough to “like” Aryna Sabalenka, having been beaten by her friend in the final of the Miami Open.
She labelled the new champion the best player in the world after an “amazing” last month, with the American very gracious in defeat.
“Congrats Aryna to you and your team,” Pegula said. “Three finals. I really don’t wanna like you right now but you’re the best player in the world for a reason.
“You keep pushing and challenging everyone to get better. Congrats for an amazing couple of weeks here. Great tournament at Indian Wells too. The last month of tennis you’ve been able to play is amazing.”
