Jessica Pegula is back enjoying her tennis, having skipped the French Open just last month due to injury.
She has been working hard to get back to full fitness and indeed back to form, having lost in the second round at the Australian Open.
That certainly wasn’t the ideal start to 2024 for the American, with Pegula struggling on the hard courts before deciding to skip the clay of Roland Garros.
She is, however, now shining on the grass, having just won her WTA fifth title and first on the surface at the 2024 Berlin Open.
Pegula has now taken that form into Wimbledon, where she has flown into the second round after a first round win over Ashlyn Krueger.
Jessica Pegula names her favourite and least favourite surfaces
The fifth seed eased past her fellow American in just 49 minutes, setting up a clash with China’s Wang Xinyu.
Pegula will be keen to make it far in London, having only ever made as far as the quarter-final stage across the four Grand Slams.
She may not have a preferred tournament, but her preferred surface has now emerged, with Pegula playing the game ‘kiss, marry, kill’ in terms of grass, hard and clay courts on Tennis Channel.
“Kill clay, marry hard courts and then I guess grass,” said Pegula. “But that could flip, we will see how this couple of weeks go.
“I just love hard courts because it’s a true bounce, so there’s no unlucky things that can happen. I don’t mind clay but if you’re going to put me in that position.”
Has Jessica Pegula been handed a tough draw at Wimbledon?
Pegula may be looking strong, but her fellow WTA stars will not make it easy over the course of Wimbledon.
If the American does make it past Xinyu in round two, a tough test against either Katie Boulter or Harriet Dart awaits, with the crowd certain to want a British win.
Tenth seed and two-time finalist Ons Jabeur could be drawn against Pegula in round four, with 2022 winner Elena Rybakina potentially coming up in the quarter-finals.
A resurgent Caroline Wozniacki is another potential opponent, while Pegula is also on the same side of the draw as world number one Iga Swiatek.
The Berlin success has, however, provided the American with a big confidence boost, while she has been backed by Andy Roddick to make it all the way to final.
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