Aryna Sabalenka Confronts Heartbreak by Training With Jessica Pegula on Wimbledon Court 1

Aryna Sabalenka officially inaugurated Wimbledon’s Court No. 1 with her first show-court practice session, sharing the court with Jessica Pegula. Their hit lasted 45 minutes, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. local time.

The practice session also carried an added layer of intrigue for Sabalenka, whose most recent loss on tour came against Pegula.

Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula Trade Aorangi Park for Show Court

Tennis players usually train at Wimbledon’s Aorangi Park facility ahead of the main Grand Slam event. Sabalenka and Pegula have been using the practice courts regularly to prepare for the tournament since arriving in London following their respective campaigns at the Berlin Tennis Open.

Wimbledon also opens its main show courts, Center Court and Court No. 1, for practice sessions a few days before the tournament begins. These sessions are typically reserved for a select group of players, including defending champions, top seeds, and other high-profile names.

On Thursday, June 25, Sabalenka and Pegula, ranked No. 1 and No. 4, respectively, swapped Aorangi Park for one of Wimbledon’s show courts, inaugurating the 2026 proceedings on Court No. 1 with an intense 45-minute practice session.

The tournament’s official social media page shared glimpses of the players’ training.

Both players played just one grass-court warm-up event before their arrival in London. Sabalenka reached the final four at the WTA 500 in Berlin, with wins against Ekaterina Alexandrova and Nikola Bartunkova. However, Pegula denied her a place in the final, securing an impressive 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0 victory over the top seed in the semifinal.

Notably, the defeat marked Sabalenka’s second consecutive match ending with a 6-0 loss in the deciding set. Just weeks ago, she was knocked out of the French Open by Diana Shnaider, who secured a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory in the quarterfinal.

Pegula, who beat Kateřina Siniaková and Madison Keys before her win against the World No. 1, fell short in her final challenge against Linda Nosková. Instead of competing in Bad Homburg as the defending champion, the American chose to head straight to London, possibly to better adapt to the conditions at SW19.

Last year, Pegula suffered a shock first-round exit at Wimbledon, with less than three days separating her title-winning run in Germany and her opening-round match on Court No. 2 against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto. The American, seeded fourth, will be hoping for a deep run at Wimbledon this time as she pursues her maiden Grand Slam title and a third career grass-court trophy.

MORE: ‘They Know She Is Beatable’ – Aryna Sabalenka Faces Jimmy Connors’ Scrutiny Over Her ‘Attitude’ for Wimbledon

Sabalenka, on the other hand, has yet to win a title on the surface. She hasn’t won a title since her Sunshine Double success in March. After a run of unexpected mid-match lapses, she has reconnected with a psychologist to address her mental challenges. The 28-year-old will be hoping to overcome these issues in her bid for a fifth Grand Slam title at SW19.