Perfect Against Americans… Until Now: Gauff, Pegula Ready to Battle for Supremacy at Wimbledon

Tuesday’s quarterfinal between Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff will be the first all-American Wimbledon women’s singles match featuring two Top 10 seeds since Serena and Venus Williams met in the 2009 final.

It’s a matchup both Pegula and Gauff have been looking forward to.

The pair have plenty of history. They’ve played together at the Olympics and the Grand Slams, reached the World No.1 doubles ranking as a team, and faced each other eight times in singles—but never at a major.

Their ninth meeting will be their biggest yet, with both players bidding for a maiden Wimbledon semifinal. Pegula is 8-0 against fellow Americans in 2026 and has won 19 of her last 20 matches against compatriots. Gauff is 6-0 against Americans this season. The cream of the crop is rising to the top.

“You know what? It’s really fun,” Pegula said after defeating Iva Jovic in three sets on Sunday to reach her second Wimbledon quarterfinal.

“I feel like, one, there’s a wide range of us, ones that are more my age, and then the girls that are younger, like Iva today, 18. And then there’s Coco, who’s someone who’s still so young, but already so experienced and established, and a great champion.”

Pegula says the dynamic among the American women is very different from what she sees on the men’s side.

“And then you have all the guys,” she said with a smile. “I don’t know what ages they are, but I feel like they act so young, and they make it so fun and so goofy. It’s really cool to see. I think there’s just so many of us that it’s fun to support and push each other, and we get motivated seeing each other do really well. We practice with each other a lot, and we kind of want those matches.”

Asked before Gauff’s victory over Belinda Bencic whether she’d like to face the World No.3 in the quarterfinals, Pegula didn’t hesitate.

“I would love to play Coco next round. I would love to see her win. I think it’d be so much fun to have another American matchup. I’m proud of my country and where I’m from, and I think it’s a lot of fun.”

Gauff, who has split her two career grass-court meetings with Pegula, said facing Belinda Bencic and Claire Liu in her last two matches should help prepare her for Tuesday’s challenge.

“Honestly, it’s going to be kind of similar,” she said. “It will be the third flat hitter I’ve played in a row. I think the last two matches I’ve had definitely gave me prep for her. She’s always a tough opponent for me. I think she’s really consistent and gets a lot of balls back and can also play really aggressive, too.

“I think it’s just going to be another one of those where I just have to be in it from start to finish.”