LIVE
...

Follow us on

News

Jessica Pegula reveals her game plan for the Bad Homburg final against Iga Swiatek

Split image of Iga Swiatek looking on during her win over Ekaterina Alexandrova at the 2025 Bad Homburg Open, image of Jessica Pegula celebrating d...
Credit: Getty Images/KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Robert Prange
Follow us on Google Discover

Jessica Pegula continues to impress in 2025 as she now prepares for her second career grass-court final.

After losing her opening match at the Berlin Open last week, Pegula was in need of a strong performance heading into Wimbledon.

Coming up with the goods, Pegula beat Katerina Siniakova and Emma Navarro to book her place in the Bad Homburg semi-finals.

Jessica Pegula celebrates her win over Emma Navarro at the 2025 Bad Homburg Open
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images

There, she came mightily close to defeat when her opponent, Linda Noskova, served for the match during the second set, but fought back, securing her place in the final with a 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 win.

She’ll play five-time major champion Iga Swiatek in the final, as she now reveals her game plan to take on the Pole.

Jessica Pegula plans to hit ‘low and flat’ to disrupt Iga Swiatek’s rhythm in the Bad Homburg final

During her post-match interview, Pegula was full of praise for Swiatek, as she explained the tactics she may use in the final.

“When she’s firing on all cylinders, she’s really good, she returns well, she moves really good, her footwork is very good, can dictate play really well, she does a lot of things really good, that’s why she’s a champion and was number one,” she said.

“But, I’ll try to use the surface, I hit pretty low and flat, hopefully that will help disrupt her rhythm a little bit, but we’ll see.

“She had a pretty dominant match today, it seemed like, so it will be interesting, we’ve never played on grass before, so it will be a first.”

Jessica Pegula celebrates during her semi-final win at the Bad Homburg Open.
Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images

Pegula has played Swiatek ten times on the WTA Tour and trails the head-to-head 4-6, but the pair have only played each other on hard and clay courts.

MatchSurfaceWinnerLoserScore
2024 US Open – QFHardJessica PegulaIga Swiatek6-2, 6-4
2023 WTA Finals – FHardIga SwiatekJessica Pegula6-1, 6-0
2023 Canadian Open – SFHardJessica PegulaIga Swiatek6-2, 6-7 6-4
2023 Qatar Open – FHardIga SwiatekJessica Pegula6-3, 6-0
2023 United Cup – RRHardJessica PegulaIga Swiatek6-2, 6-2
2022 San Diego – SFHardIga SwiatekJessica Pegula4-6, 6-2, 6-2
2022 US Open – QFHardIga SwiatekJessica Pegula6-3, 7-6
2022 French Open – QFClayIga SwiatekJessica Pegula6-3, 6-2
2022 Miami Open – SFHardIga SwiatekJessica Pegula6-2, 7-5
2019 Washington – 2RHardJessica PegulaIga Swiatek5-7, 6-4, 6-1
Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek’s head-to-head record

Reflecting on her semi-final win over Noskova, the world number three recalled what she was telling herself when things weren’t going her way.

“I don’t know, she was serving really good, I couldn’t get a read on it, it was just tough, she was playing really well. I was finally able to start reading it right at the very end,” said Pegula.

“I’m just happy I was able to put myself back in the match, I was doing the best I can, I told myself if you lose and walk off the court and she’s serving great and you did everything you could, it’s fine, but luckily was able to find my game there.”

Asked about her ability to stay calm on the court, Pegula admitted that her relaxed demeanour can cost her at times.

“In the first set I got a little feisty with the racket bag, I don’t know,” she said.

“I’ve always just been pretty chill and laid back, and not overly emotional. Not just with tennis but with a lot of things.

“Sometimes it’s good, but sometimes I have to find ways to fire myself up if I’m lagging or not quite matching the energy of my opponent.

“That’s something I’ve had to learn, that’s not something in my personality as much, but I’ve always just been that way.”

There’s no doubt Pegula will be ‘fired up’ on Saturday, as she prepares to compete in another WTA final.

Jessica Pegula reaches her fifth WTA final of 2025

Pegula continues to prove herself as one of the most consistent players in the women’s game, as she now prepares for her fifth WTA final of the year.

Her 2025 record in finals is 2-2, something she’ll no doubt look to improve upon when she takes to the court against Swiatek.

FinalSurfaceOpponentResultScore
Adelaide InternationalHardMadison KeysLoss3-6, 6-4, 1-6
ATX OpenHardMcCartney KesslerWin7-5, 6-2
Miami OpenHardAryna SabalenkaLoss5-7, 6-2
Charleston OpenClaySofia KeninWin6-3, 7-5
Bad Homburg OpenGrassIga Swiatek
Jessica Pegula’s record in 2025 WTA finals

Pegula won her biggest title of the year at the Charleston Open in April, as she took home the WTA 500 title with a straight-sets win over her fellow American, Sofia Kenin.

Only time will tell if Pegula can win her second consecutive WTA 500 final in Bad Homburg, but it will certainly be worth tuning in for.

Pegula and Swiatek will contest the 2025 Bad Homburg final on Saturday, June 28.