Jessica Pegula defeated fellow American Iva Jovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the Wimbledon 2026 round of 16 on Sunday. The fourth seeded Pegula came back from a first set loss to reach the quarterfinals for the second time in her career. This marks her 10th Grand Slam quarterfinal overall.
Pegula and Jovic, both from the United States, met on Court 1 at the All England Club. Jovic, the 18 year old 16th seed, started strong and took the opening set 6-4. She played with confidence early and forced Pegula into errors. Pegula showed more unforced errors in parts of the match, with reports noting she had 16 compared to Jovic’s 12 at one stage. At that point, Jovic had won only five more points overall.
In the second set, Pegula adjusted her game. She used her flat forehand to apply steady pressure on Jovic’s serve and broke at key moments. Pegula won the set 6-3 by staying aggressive and limiting her mistakes after the slow start. The third set saw Pegula take full control. She broke Jovic’s serve early and built a lead that Jovic could not close. Pegula closed out the match 6-1 in under two hours and 15 minutes total.
With the win, Pegula will face either Coco Gauff or Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals. This result keeps an American player in contention on the women’s side. Pegula has now advanced further than in recent Wimbledon appearances and looks set for a strong finish. Jovic, despite the loss, gained valuable experience against a top player on grass.
The match offered clear examples of how experience can turn around a deficit in Grand Slam tennis. Pegula’s ability to raise her level after dropping the first set stood out as a key factor. Both players will take lessons from this encounter as the tournament continues. Pegula moves forward with momentum while Jovic will look to build on her strong showing in future events.