"Jelena Ostapenko always thinks it’s out" - Jessica Pegula throws shade at Latvian as she joins Leylah Fernandez & others in predicting Hawkeye calls

Jessica Pegula recently took a dig at her colleague Jelena Ostapenko while predicting old Hawkeye calls. Pegula was notably joined by the likes of Leylah Fernandez, Caroline Wozniacki and Beatriz Haddad Maia in the fun activity on Tennis Channel.

The first task for the women was to judge an Andreas Seppi cross-court backhand that clipped the left sideline against Roger Federer. Pegula, a little overconfident, wrongly declared it out whereas Haddad Maia got it right.

"I think I’m usually pretty right though, like most of the time. Oh wow, that’s tough, it’s hard to see on TV though, that looks like it was out," said Jessica Pegula.

"In, yes it was in," Haddad Maia said.

The next video was about another cross-court backhand, with the difference being it was hit by Coco Gauff against Jelena Ostapenko. The ball landed inside the left sideline on Ostapenko's court.

Wozniacki and Fernandez were the judges for this one. The two applauded Gauff for the shot to begin, with the Canadian messing up on her prediction.

"That’s a great return. That’s for sure good," Wozniacki claimed.

"Great return. I think it’s out. Oh wow, that was way in," Fernandez regretted.

In another clip, Grigor Dimitrov smacked a backhand down the line that marginally kissed the sideline of the right against Kyle Edmund. Fernandez failed again with her call as she was left in disbelief after learning it was in.

"That’s out. Sorry Grigor. No? That’s like not in," the Canadian said.

Then it was time for another video from Gauff and Ostapenko's duel. This time, however, the attendees were to judge the Latvian's backhand that bounced long and Haddad Maia guessed it right. Jessica Pegula, on the other hand, decided to throw shade at Ostapenko, referencing the latter's protest against electronic line calling.

"I mean, I don’t know, in? Although it’s Ostapenko, she always thinks it’s out," Jessica Pegula stated.

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Jessica Pegula's rival Jelena Ostapenko's stance on automated line calls

Jelena Ostapenko

Jelena Ostapenko and Jessica Pegula have played against each other five times, with the American holding a 3-2 lead in the head-to-head.

Jessica Pegula's rival Ostapenko has been opposing the use of electronic line calling ever since it was introduced to judge the ball without human assistance.

The aforementioned match between Ostapenko and Coco Gauff was played at the 2023 Australian Open. She defeated Gauff 7-5, 6-3 in the fourth round only to lose to Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals. During her press conference after losing, she voiced her discontent against the automatic system in place instead of line judges.

"I'm not really happy with the system they are using. Couple times it was really, like, not even by couple of centimeters. It was much more than that... Some balls were quite, how you say, not a little out. They were a bit out and they were not called," Ostapenko said.

Ostapenko said something similar at the US Open last year after overcoming Iga Swiatek in the fourth round. She said:

"Honestly I don't believe in it 100%. Of course you get frustrated, but you just have to stay with the calls and nothing is gonna change and you just have to play the next point."

Jelena Ostapenko notably lost to Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals after beating Swiatek.