Imagine being a crowd favorite but still not getting the suupport of your country’s biggest entity. That is what happened with Jessica Pegula. Having made her way into the semi-finals of the US Open, she was all set to face Iga Swiatek in a high-profile encounter. The encounter also had some high profile names coming into the event. One amongst them was Simone Biles, a renowned Olympic champion. Donning her chic white outfit, she made a grand entry to the Flushing Meadows.
While her appearance was highly anticipated, there was one thing that the fans did not like. In an interview at the US Open, she talked about Iga Swiatek and how she will be rooting for her to lift the tournament. While some liked it, some were clearly not happy with this mainly because she was playing against an American.
While the whole world was on their seats chanting Pegula’s name, Biles had some other things in her mind. This was something that the fans did not like resulting in them venting out their frustration on the social media.
‘Super disappointed’ fans express outrage after Simone Biles extends support to Iga Swiatek and not Jessica Pegula
Fans recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their outrage to Simone Biles amidst a high-voltage clash between the two heavy favorites in the event. One fan came ahead and suggested, “Simone I am so disappointed in how un-American you are by publicly announcing that you are there to see and rooting for Iga and not your fellow American! Jessica Pegula is class act and I’m sure she was rooting for you last month!” Interestinlgly, Katie Ledecky was also spotted at the US Open and the fans were head over heels with her presence in the event. So much so, that they even urged her to take pictures with the current world number 1.
Another fan joined hands to say, “Why did @Simone_Biles just say she’s a fan of the non-American at the US OPEN ??” While both the stars had a good time at the Paris Olympics, Jessica Pegula, in an interview post Olympics came ahead and talked about how her meeting with some of the top athletes, including Biles was. She said that she felt nice meeting her and it was a great experience to meet someone as special as Biles.
That wasn’t it, the fans were clearly not happy with the way Simone Biles was extending her support to Swiatek. This fan said, “Simone openly rooting for someone other than fellow USA Olympian @JPegula. I’m a little put off by this.” Interestingly, Simone Biles and Jessica Pegula both represented their country at the Paris Olympics this year and spent an ample amount of time together at the Olympic village. With the bonding that the two might have developed, the fans were not happy with her statements.
“@Simone_Biles You’re not supporting Jessie??!! Super disappointing,” said the fan out of pure disappointment. Interestingly, SImone Biles has often inspired Iga Swiatek to push past her limits. Back before the Olympics, a video surfaced on X which showed the Olympic champion’s floor routine. Swiatek, who was mesmerized with her efforts took a moment to appreciate her efforts. She wrote, “So powerful and inspiring,” as she extended her support to the star.
Last, but not least, this was also not happy with the way she extended her support to the Polish superstar. “Interesting, Simone Biles cheering for @iga_swiatek tonight,” said the fan who vented out her frustration on Biles for her support to a non-American.
Thus, the fans were clearly not happy with how things went at the US Open. However, Pegula did not care much about this and went 0n to to win the match and book her place in the final 4 of the event. The match ended 6-2, 6-4 in favor of the 6th seeded star. With just one step away from the finals, she looks sure short to end her wait for the grand slam and lay her hands on the silverware. What are your thoughts on this whole saga? Do let us know in the comments below.