Pegula Into IW QF: Nobody Beats Me 5 Times In a Row

By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Photo credit: Matthew Calvis

INDIAN WELLS—Crouching low in her return position, Jessica Pegula briefly closed her eyes as if contemplating the coming play in her head.

That was the meditative calm before Pegula invoked role reversal with complete conviction.

Winless in four prior meetings vs. Belinda Bencic, Pegula pushed all the right buttons beating the former Olympic gold-medal champion 6-3, 7-6(5) to charge into the BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals for the second time.

“Had to turn the tables today,” said Pegula, who had lost all eight prior sets to Bencic. “Nobody beats me five times in a row. 

“I feel I’m a different player, a better player. I had to accept the challenge and go in and at least get a set.”

It is Pegula’s eighth straight win and puts her on pace to extend a milestone streak.

If Pegula defeats her next opponent—either 2023 champion Elena Rybakina or 54th-ranked Briton Sonay Kartal—she will become the first woman to reach eight straight Tour-level semifinals since Hall of Famer Maria Sharapova made eight consecutive semifinals between Beijing 2012 and Madrid 2013.

Pegula improved to 16-2 on the season, including an 8-1 mark vs. Top 20 players. Her lone loss to a Top 20 opponent came against Rybakina in the Australian Open semifinals. Rybakina went on to rally past No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and capture her second Grand Slam championship in Melbourne.

Today, Pegula won the battle of the baseline vs. Bencic and served with more command.

Both women can straddle the line and hit the ball early. Pegula was timing the ball a bit better at the outset hammering drives into the corner and moved with more fluidity.

The pair traded breaks at the outset. Then Pegula ran off eight of 10 points, breaking in the fourth game and confirming the break for 4-1. Pegula saved a break point working through a tense, 12-point game to hold for 5-2.

On her fourth set point, Pegula snatched a one-set lead.

“I think I’m a much better player now, but I also think that tactically I definitely changed some stuff,” Pegula said. “I serve much better now, which helps me out not feeling so much pressure with her returning, because she’s a really good returner.

“I think tactically I don’t want to totally give away what I have been doing, but there was definitely some stuff that I have seen that I’ve gotten better at that I’m able to adapt to in a point that I’m able to just think a little bit clearly and more quicker out there.

“That just, I think, helped me get the win today. It wasn’t anything crazy, but I do feel like there is a certain way and a certain pattern that maybe worked better that I wasn’t thinking about the last few times I played her.”

Stepping into her drives and striking with confidence, Pegula opened a 4-2 second set lead.

The 2024 US Open finalist’s only mis-step came when she served for the quarterfinals at 5-4. Bencic hit some deep returns breaking back at 15. 

The tiebreaker was all Pegula.

Dabbing a backhand drop shot brought her a 4-1 lead. 

On her third match point, Pegula got Bencic moving and slashed a diagonal forehand behind the Swiss sealing a one hour, 48-minute win.

“She’s a really good returner so I know I had to focus on my serve a lot,” Pegula said. “I had to keep that confidence going not be afraid to move the serve around and go for my second serve.

“I felt like in the second set I had a little bit of a little lull, but at the same time she’s a really good player. She made me have to earn it today.”

Pegula pumped eight aces against three double faults posting her eighth win in a row and will need to serve with accuracy and ambition should she face Rybakina again.

Two-time major champion Rybakina has won four of seven meetings vs. Pegula.