Jessica Pegula saw her Miami Open campaign end in the quarterfinals after a hard-fought loss to Elena Rybakina, after which she delivered an honest assessment of her performance. The American pointed to the fine margins of the contest, noting the irony of winning more points overall yet falling short on the scoreboard.
Jessica Pegula Explains Miami Open Exit Despite Outscoring Elena Rybakina
Rybakina struggled to find rhythm early against Pegula, with a flurry of errors disrupting her game. The world No. 2 piled up 12 unforced mistakes while Pegula stayed composed with just two. That allowed the American to race through the opening set 6-2 and seize early control of the match.
Rybakina remained vulnerable in the second set, as her timing deserted her at key moments. At 2–2, she misfired on three routine overheads, two drifting wide and one into the net, handing Pegula a golden opening.
However, Pegula failed to capitalize on three break points, first missing a forehand and then being pinned back by Rybakina’s crisp backhand combinations. Surviving that game proved decisive, as the Kazakh steadied herself and rode the momentum to claim the set 6-3.
The two-time Grand Slam champion carried her momentum into the deciding set, securing an early break to go up 3-1. Although Pegula showed resistance, Rybakina sealed it 6-4 to move into the semifinals.
MORE: Elena Rybakina Admits Frustrating ‘Mistakes’ Nearly Cost Her vs Jessica Pegula in Miami
Notably, Pegula ended up on the losing side despite edging Rybakina in total points, 100-98. The American pointed to a missed opportunity in the second set and reflected on that fine margin while assessing her defeat in the post-match press conference.
“That game (2-2 in the 2nd set with 3 break points), where she made a couple bad errors, to me, I have to win that game against someone like her,” Pegula said. “I can’t let her get away with that many mistakes. At the same time, I feel like I played pretty well all match. I saw a stat that I won more points. That’s what sucks about tennis, that sometimes you can win more points and still lose the match.”
Pegula after Rybakina QF Loss in Press at @MiamiOpen on if the match slipped away from her in that game in the second set
“That game (2-2 in the 2nd set with 3 break points) where she made a couple bad errors, to me like I have to win that game against someone like her. I can’t…
— TennisONE App (@TennisONEApp) March 25, 2026
Pegula added:
“I was right there. felt like I played really solid. She hit some really good shots, on break points and especially in the 3rd. It definitely would’ve been nice to obviously get the break at that moment. Maybe it would’ve been different. You really don’t know, but it was definitely a pivotal point in the match.”
With the win, Rybakina improved her head-to-head advantage against Pegula to 6-3. She now shifts her focus to her semifinal contest against Aryna Sabalenka. The world No. 1 leads 9-7 in their head-to-head and is favored by PFSN’s Tennis Simulator with a 61% chance of winning their forthcoming contest.
