Fourth seed Jessica Pegula staged a comeback to beat fellow American Iva Jovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 at Wimbledon, securing a spot in the quarter-finals for the second time in her career. Pegula, who also reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, has now advanced to her second Grand Slam quarter-final of 2026. She is set to face either seventh seed Coco Gauff or 11th seed Belinda Bencic for a chance at the semi-finals.
This victory marked Pegula’s third win over Jovic this season, with previous triumphs at the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Charleston Open. The match was notable as Pegula had previously likened Jovic to a “mini-me” due to their similar playing styles. Jovic acknowledged the comparison before the match, expressing her desire to elevate her game.
In a closely contested match, the opening set saw both players struggle with errors. Despite Pegula breaking Jovic three times, Jovic capitalized on Pegula’s serve, securing four breaks to claim the set. However, Pegula turned the tide in the second set, improving her first-serve success rate and groundstrokes to level the match by breaking Jovic twice.
The momentum continued in the final set as Pegula dominated, securing an early break after a crucial comeback from 0-40 down on Jovic’s serve. Although Jovic briefly halted Pegula’s progress by holding serve, Pegula’s strong finish with three consecutive game wins sealed her victory and a place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
