Iva Jovic will play Jessica Pegula for simply the second time once they meet in Charleston.
They performed their first match on the Dubai Tennis Championships earlier this 12 months, the place Pegula defeated Jovic, 6-4, 6-2.
How do you charge Jessica Pegula’s probabilities of ever profitable a Grand Slam?
Jovic, 18, shall be hoping for a greater end result in Charleston, however is greater than conscious of the duty at hand.
Iva Jovic says Jessica Pegula makes you ‘really work for it’
During her quarter-final post-match press convention, Jovic was requested for her ideas on Pegula.
“I think it’s obviously one of the best players in the world right now, and consistently for the past years,” she mentioned.
“She’s very solid, doesn’t give away a lot, and places her serve very well.
Jessica Pegula’s serving stats (2026)
- Aces – 114 (6th on WTA Tour)
- 1st Serve % – 62.8% (105th on WTA Tour)
- 1st Serve points % – 71.6% (13th on WTA Tour)
- 2nd Serve points % – 52.4% (11th on WTA Tour)
- Serve points won % – 64.5% (4th on WTA Tour)
- Break points saved % – 59.3% (45th on WTA Tour)
- Serve games won % – 80.9% (6th on WTA Tour)
“You really have to beat her, she’s not going to have one of those days where, ‘Oh, I’m not playing so well…’
“She showed this week that even if she goes down, or if you’re having a hot start, she’s going to come back and she’s going to make you really work for it.
Jessica Pegula at the Charleston Open
| Match | Opponent | Score | Match time |
| Quarter-final | Diana Shnaider | 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 | 2 hours, 10 minutes |
| Third round | Elisabetta Cocciaretto | 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 | 2 hours, 5 minutes |
| Second round | Yulia Putintseva | 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 | 3 hours, 10 minutes |
“No one has been able to shut the door on her… Yet.
“It’s not enough to get up, go ahead, and she’s going to go away, no, you really have to go out there and beat her.
“So it will be tough.”
Pegula was simply as complimentary in direction of Jovic when requested in regards to the teen throughout her newest press convention.
“Iva [Jovic], I haven’t played her on clay, but just played her in Dubai; she’s playing great tennis,” she mentioned.
Jessica Pegula vs Iva Jovic – Match stats (Dubai)
| Stats | Jessica Pegula | Iva Jovic |
| Aces | 5 | 3 |
| Double faults | 1 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 98% | 98% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 77% | 59% |
| Break factors | 3/8 | 0/1 |
| Points gained | 61 | 46 |
“Super tough competitor, very focused, works really hard, doesn’t have a ton of holes in her game.
“I feel like she’s just an overall, really solid player.
“I think she’s been playing at a really high level this whole year, and yeah, it will be tricky playing her on clay.
“It’s always different from playing on a really fast hard court in Dubai, so we will see how that varies.”
It stays to be seen who will emerge victorious, however you definitely gained’t need to miss their second profession assembly.
Pegula and Jovic will battle it out for a spot within the Charleston Open closing on Saturday, March 4.
What’s on the road for Jessica Pegula and Iva Jovic?
A spot within the closing, of course, however that’s not all that’s up for grabs.
If Pegula can beat Jovic, she’s going to maintain on to the world quantity 5 spot, ahead of her fellow American Amanda Anisimova.
Defending 500 factors from her title win final 12 months, Pegula has quickly dropped behind Anisimova within the ‘Live WTA Rankings’, however will transfer again ahead if she reaches the ultimate.
Live WTA high 10
| Rank | Name | Country | Points | Points with subsequent win |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 11,025 | – |
| 2 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan | 8,108 | – |
| 3 | Coco Gauff | USA | 7,278 | – |
| 4 | Iga Swiatek | Poland | 7,263 | – |
| 5 | Amanda Anisimova | USA | 5,995 | – |
| 6 | Jessica Pegula | USA | 5,938 | 6,068 |
| 7 | Elina Svitolina | Ukraine | 3,965 | – |
| 8 | Jasmine Paolini | Italy | 3,907 | – |
| 9 | Victoria Mboko | Canada | 3,531 | – |
| 10 | Mirra Andreeva | Russia | 3,121 | – |
Jovic, too, can transfer up the rankings with a win.
She presently sits sixteenth, however can soar ahead of Naomi Osaka into fifteenth and thrust back the problem of Madison Keys if she beats Pegula.
Live WTA Rankings (11-20)
| Rank | Name | Country | Points | Points with subsequent win |
| 11 | Belinda Bencic | Switzerland | 3,090 | – |
| 12 | Karolina Muchova | Czechia | 2,993 | – |
| 13 | Ekaterina Alexandrova | Russia | 2,886 | – |
| 14 | Linda Noskova | Czechia | 2,801 | – |
| 15 | Naomi Osaka | Japan | 2,324 | – |
| 16 | Iva Jovic | USA | 2,270 | 2,400 |
| 17 | Madison Keys | USA | 2,161 | 2,291 |
| 18 | Clara Tauson | Denmark | 2,040 | – |
| 19 | Diana Shnaider | Russia | 2,001 | – |
| 20 | Elise Mertens | Belgium | 1,906 | – |
Jovic has by no means been ranked inside the highest 15.
Will that change this week? Only time will inform…
