Pegula Fends Off Rising Jovic and Returns to Charleston Final

By Erik Gudris | Saturday April 4, 2026
Photo credit: Charleston Tennis LLC

“I’m over it.” 

That’s what Jessica Pegula said right after having to play yet another three-set match at the Credit One Charleston Open. The good news for Pegula, though, is that she’s back in the final for a chance to defend her title.

The top-seeded Pegula fended off a strong challenge from rising American teenage sensation and No. 4 seed 18-year-old Iva Jovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in their semifinal.

“I think I’m finally over it. Which is great because there’s the final, there’s only one match left,” Pegula said afterwards on Tennis Channel, about having to play her fourth straight three set match of the event. “I thought when I won the first (set) today, like, oh man, I have such a great chance to not go to three, but that didn’t happen.”

Jovic, who has told the 32-year-old Pegula she is one of her tennis idols and has patterned her game after Pegula, certainly looked ready to perhaps pull off the upset. Especially since she has quickly risen up the ranks this season and will already be at a career-high World No. 16 ranking next week.

Jovic jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the opening set. In an extended 17-minute service game, Jovic fended off seven break points before finally holding to extend her lead to 3-0.

Yet the World No. 5 Pegula slowly started working her way back in the set. Pegula eventually would break Jovic on her eighth break point to stay in touch at 2-3.

Pegula started finding more success late in the set when she began going for down the line winners in their extended rallies. Pegula soon broke again for 5-4.

With help from some Jovic errors in the next game, Pegula served out the set 6-4.

Having won her first opening set of the tournament, Pegula probably thought she just might have a shorter day on court. That didn’t prove the case, though.

Both players kept right with each other throughout the second set, with nothing between them. But it was Jovic who found an opening late in the set.

With Pegula serving down 5-6, the American veteran missed three first serves. That helped Jovic reach 0-40 and with it three set points. Jovic missed out on the first two, but then cracked a forehand winner to secure the set 7-5.

Jovic managed to secure another early break lead in the final set. Yet once again, Pegula bided her time and eventually broke back. From there, Pegula started going for winners earlier in the points to avoid extended rallies with her opponent.

That tactic worked as Pegula earned a pivotal service break for 3-2 when she struck a potent backhand return. 

Up 5-3, Pegula made her move as Jovic served to stay in the match. A Jovic backhand error handed Pegula her first match point. Jovic saved it with a swing-volley winner, but Pegula soon enough held another match point. 

Jovic once again denied Pegula, this time with a strong forehand of her own. Yet Pegula found success soon enough on her third match point when Jovic sent a forehand wide.

“I think sometimes when you get down a break, you kind of free up. And I felt like I started hitting my returns a little bit more. I feel like this week I played a bit tentative,” Pegula said when asking about changing tactics in the match. “I don’t really know why. I just think the surface change, the clay, um, having to move your feet up, you know, I’m tired and that gets harder to do when that happens. I think I felt like I wasn’t quite stepping into the court enough, especially on the returns and she’s such a good returner.  So I felt like I had to start putting more pressure on her serve. So I think when I got down to break, if you focus on your serve, because there’s nothing else you can do. And then I felt like I freed up on the return a little bit.”

Pegula is now 10-1 in three-set matches so far this season. Pegula is also going for a repeat title in Charleston, which would be her second of the season, having won Dubai earlier this year.

Pegula will face surprise finalist Yuliia Starodubtseva.

Starodubtseva continued her Cinderella run in Charleston stunning 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-1, 6-4.