Jessica Pegula is enjoying one of the best stretches of her career, delivering deep runs at multiple consecutive tournaments. The American is currently ranked No. 5 in the world and is participating in the 2026 Miami Open, where she has successfully reached the third round after Francesca Jones retired from their second-round match.
Fellow American Danielle Collins shared her views on Pegula’s performance, explaining the reasons behind her recent success.
Danielle Collins Believes Jessica Pegula Can Win the 2026 Miami Open
Pegula entered the tournament as the fifth seed, received a first-round bye and was set to face either Francesca Jones or American wild card Venus Williams as her first opponent. The Briton won the match 7-5, 7-5, setting up the second-round clash with the American.
Her consistent performances caught the attention of the Tennis Channel hosts, with Collins sharing the reason behind her recent success. “I think just getting more consistent, being able to push through those quarterfinals, semifinals, and make it to the very end of some of these events, and then lifting up the trophy at the end of the events,” she said.
Making a bold prediction, Collins claimed Pegula has a strong chance at winning this year’s edition of the Miami Open. “Last year, she made the finals here. This is a place that she plays incredible tennis at. This is her home tournament. She thrives in these hot, humid conditions. I think she has a chance of going all the way and winning this tournament,” she added.
Pegula’s biggest strength has been her defensive playstyle, but she has also worked on her serving, improving significantly in the past few months. Highlighting this as the biggest factor, Collins said, “When you’re going deep into the tournament, you’re playing against the best players in the world, and you know that you have to come up with big first serves and be able to hit them consistently if you want to get those wins.”
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When her co-host asked about what makes it difficult to face last year’s runner-up, given both players have played each other six times, with the 2026 Dubai champion holding a dominant 6-0 lead against the former world No. 7, Collins said, “Oh, the consistency and just her ability to play relentless tennis. When things are going her way, it’s hard to stop her. Her precision, being able to hit the corners of the court and then being able to just be so tough in those tough, tough moments and high-pressure situations.”
Collins added that it is very unpredictable to play against Pegula due to her ability to disguise her shots.
“And I will say it is challenging when you’re playing someone like that and you’re not able to get a read off of where they’re going to hit the ball. She disguises her shots incredibly well, but then you play someone and you’re in a tough moment at 4-all, or 5-4, and you’re trying to play a guessing game, its hard,” she concluded.
Pegula’s Impressive Performance in Early 2026
The former world No. 3 is arguably in the best form of her career, having reached the quarterfinals of the last eight tournaments in a row. Apart from the WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, she has made the semifinals of all these tournaments, starting all the way back from the 2025 US Open.
On her way, she has managed to reach the finals of the 2025 Wuhan Open, where she lost to compatriot Coco Gauff in straight sets. She then reached another final at the 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where she finally won her 10th career WTA title, defeating Elina Svitolina with a dominant 6-2, 6-4 performance.
Pegula has an impressive record against top-20 players recently, showing the impact of her improved serving. Last year at the Hard Rock Stadium, she defeated fellow American Bernarda Pera, the 32nd seed Anna Kalinskaya, the 23rd seed Marta Kostyuk, Emma Raducanu, and the Filipino sensation Alexandra Eala to reach the finals.
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Sabalenka defeated the American 7-5, 6-2 in straight sets to lift the title, but Pegula’s sensational performance left an impact on the tennis world. Her runner-up finish last year means she will be defending a total of 650 points at the tournament. Currently, she has made the third round of the Miami Open after Jones’ retirement due to illness.
The American will now face the Canadian Leylah Fernandez today, March 22, kicking off the morning session at the Stadium Court. According to PFSN’s exclusive interactive simulator, Pegula has an 82% chance of winning and advancing to the next round in hopes of keeping her quarterfinal streak alive.
