Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys recently showed their support for their close friend and compatriot, Jennifer Brady, who made a winning return to the tennis court after nearly two years away. The former world No. 13 celebrated her comeback by winning her first match at the San Diego Open, which is part of the 2026 ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour.
In 2024, Brady announced that she needed surgery on her right knee, which would sideline her from the professional circuit for an extended period. She initially planned to return during the qualifying rounds of the 2026 Australian Open but withdrew from the event.
Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys React to Jennifer Brady’s Return to Tennis After Two Years
After withdrawing from Melbourne, Brady accepted a singles main draw wild card for the 2026 San Diego Open. In the first round, she faced Katarina Jokić and won 6-4, 0-6, 6-3.
Brady secured her place in the second round, where she will face Kayla Day; the winner will advance to face either Cadence Brace or Alexis Nguyen in the quarterfinals.
Brady’s victory over Jokić drew reactions from Keys and Pegula, who took to social media to celebrate her win and show their support. The former World No. 5 also expressed her joy in seeing Brady back on the court and “grinding” it out.
“We love that @jenny_brady7 is back grinding,” Keys captioned her Instagram story.
It’s also worth mentioning that Keys and Pegula, along with Brady and Desirae Krawczyk, co-host a podcast called the “Player’s Box Podcast.”
Meanwhile, Pegula is competing at the 2026 Australian Open in Melbourne. She started her campaign by defeating Anastasia Zakharova with a score of 6-2, 6-1 in the first round. She then went on to overcome compatriot McCartney Kessler, winning 6-0, 6-2, and dismissed Oksana Selekhmeteva with a score of 6-3, 6-2 in the second and third rounds, respectively.
In the fourth round, Pegula faced Keys, winning 6-3, 6-4. She then eliminated fourth seed Amanda Anisimova with a score of 6-2, 7-6(1) in the quarterfinals, securing her place in the semifinals. Looking ahead, Pegula will face fifth seed Elena Rybakina in the final four, with the winner set to meet either top seed Aryna Sabalenka or 12th seed Elina Svitolina in the final.
On the other hand, Keys entered the 2026 Australian Open as the defending champion. She was seeded ninth and began her campaign with a victory over Oleksandra Oliynykova, winning 7-6(6), 6-1 in the first round. She then triumphed over compatriot Ashlyn Krueger with scores of 6-1, 7-5, and defeated Karolína Plíšková 7-6(3), 6-3 in the second and third rounds, respectively. However, her title defense ended in the fourth round when she lost to Pegula.
