‘I Needed To Avenge This Court So Badly’ – Jessica Pegula Admits After Wimbledon Third Round

Jessica Pegula is through to the second week of the Wimbledon Championships for the second time in her career. The American has been in commanding form, advancing to the fourth round without dropping a set as she continues her pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam singles title.

After her win on Friday, July 3, she opened up about her previous frustrations at SW19 and the satisfaction of putting them behind her.

Jessica Pegula Relieved To Flip the Script on Wimbledon Court 2

Fourth seed Pegula began her 2026 Wimbledon campaign on Court 2 with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Darja Vidmanova before backing it up with a 7-6(6), 6-1 win against Sarra Sorribes Tormo. She returned to the same court on Friday to defeat Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro 6-1, 6-3 and secure her place in the fourth round.

The result carried added significance, as Court 2 was also the scene of her shock first-round exit to Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 12 months earlier. Reflecting on completing a perfect 3-0 run on the court this year, Pegula admitted during her on-court interview, “I needed to avenge this court so badly from last year. I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m on Court 2 again. God.’”

“But I was able to do that. I think I’ve officially gotten over that little hump,” she added.

Pegula arrived at Wimbledon last year as one of the tournament’s leading title contenders after capturing the Bad Homburg title, where she defeated Iga Świątek in the final.

This year, she did not lift a grass-court trophy during the lead-up to SW19, but she produced another strong showing by finishing runner-up in Berlin — the only grass-court event she played before Wimbledon. Prior to the grass season, however, Pegula suffered a disappointing first-round exit to Kimberly Birrell at the French Open.

“It’s always taxing. I lost first round at Roland-Garros. Even though I’ve had some great results in the other two Slams, I felt like, you come in here (with) a loss from last year, a loss at the French (Open); it can really mess with your mentality,” she said on Friday.

The American was delighted to have turned the page at Wimbledon. “The great thing about tennis is there is always another chance to redeem that. So I’m just proud of the way I’ve been playing and (the way I) handled that.”

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Pegula would aim to carry her momentum into Sunday’s fourth-round clash with compatriot Iva Jovic. A victory would send the fourth seed into the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the second time in her career, having previously made the last eight in 2023.