- World No. 3 Jessica Pegula faced top-ranked Iga Swiatek in the semifinals of the Canadian Open.
- Rednex's "Cotton Eye Joe" disrupted a crucial point during the match's second-set tiebreak.
Jessica Pegula was on the brink of upsetting the world's top-ranked tennis star Saturday, in a crucial precursor to the US Open.
The American — who had a 4-3 lead over Iga Swiatek in the second-set tie-break — lofted the ball over her head, toward the back of the court.
But just as Swiatek elevated to smash a shot over her shoulder, the unthinkable happened:
"IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR COTTON-EYE JOE!"
Rednex's "Cotton Eye Joe" — the world's most famous, and most grating, techno-country anthem — blasted across Center Court, cutting the quiet tension of their Canadian Open semifinal match.
Before Pegula finished her follow-through on the cross-court forehand that would've extended her narrow lead, the umpire called for the players to "replay the point." But with the crowd clamoring and the music continuing to reverberate through the arena for several more verses, the umpire struggled to reclaim control in a pivotal moment of the match.
"Are you kidding me?!" the 29-year-old Buffalo, New York, native appeared to say in annoyance as the camera zoomed in on her reaction.
no way 'Cotton Eye Joe' comes on mid-point pic.twitter.com/iCYf3hwnPG
— Ryan (@Some1NamedRyan) August 12, 2023
Pegula had every right to be frustrated. After the match, she said felt as though she had the advantage during the disallowed point.
"It was a bummer, because I hit a really good lob and she barely got it," Pegula said. "I had a really good play on the ball and she was kind of out of position from the lob that I hit."
Swiatek — the notoriously unshakable four-time Grand Slam champion — got a burst of momentum after the disruption, winning the tie-break and the next game without surrendering a point.
One for the tennis graphics Hall of Fame
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) August 12, 2023
(@Sportsnet) pic.twitter.com/DgjZ9XuTWR
Still, Pegula managed to climb back to win the match, toppling the mighty top seed en route to the championship match.
After the win, she was able to reflect on the DJ's slip-up with a bit of laughter.
"I mean, I just thought it was funny," Pegula said after the win. "I've never had that happen, let alone with 'Cotton Eye Joe.'"
"Of all the songs, it was like, what is going on?"
The following day, Pegula delivered a masterclass to dominate Russia's Liudmila Samsonova 6-1, 6-0 in less than an hour — earning her first WTA singles title of the year. As she walked off the court victorious—
"IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR COTTON-EYE JOE!"
Cotton Eye Joe started playing right after Jessica Pegula won the title in Montreal.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 13, 2023
Jess started laughing. She can’t escape this song. pic.twitter.com/W7yRwERy8D
While "hilarious," Pegula admitted the song had gotten under her skin:
"I've come to learn that I lost a lot of points consecutively after 'Cotton Eye Joe' came on," Pegula said in her post-match press conference, referring to the snafu against Swiatek. "I'm glad I got over the 'Cotton Eye Joe' jinx, or whatever you want to call it, and was able to overcome that."
"Today, it was just funny after I won, because it was almost my downfall yesterday," she added. "But not anymore!"