Wimbledon 2026: Jessica Pegula storms into quarter-finals after comeback win over Iva Jovic

Fourth seed Jessica Pegula overcame a slow start to defeat fellow American Iva Jovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 on Sunday, booking her place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the second time in her career.

Pegula, who has now reached her second Grand Slam quarter-final of the season, will next face either seventh seed Coco Gauff or 11th seed Belinda Bencic for a place in the last four.

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The victory also completed a clean sweep over 17-year-old Jovic across all three surfaces this year. Pegula had previously defeated the rising American in Dubai on hard courts and Charleston on clay before adding a grass-court win at the All England Club.

The all-American contest began with Jovic unsettling the fourth seed through aggressive returning. Pegula struggled to find her rhythm, producing 16 unforced errors in the opening set and winning just six of her 17 first-serve points. Although she broke Jovic’s serve three times, the teenager responded each time before taking the opener 6-4.

Pegula, who has previously described Jovic as a “mini-me” because of their similar playing styles, raised her level in the second set. Her first-serve percentage climbed above 80 per cent, while she cut down on unforced errors and dictated the rallies from the baseline. Two service breaks helped her force a deciding set.

The turning point came early in the third. Trailing 0-40 on Jovic’s serve, Pegula reeled off five consecutive points to secure a crucial break before racing to a 3-0 lead. From there, the American never looked back, wrapping up victory by winning five of the final six games to become the first player to book a place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals this year.

The win continues Pegula’s strong run in London as she looks to match or better her best Wimbledon performance by reaching the semi-finals for the first time.