Sports · Wimbledon 2026 · Women's Singles · Round of 16
Jessica PegulavsIva Jovic
Sunday, July 5, 2026 · Round of 16
Watch: ESPN · ESPN+
My pick: Jessica Pegula to advance · locked 2026-07-03 21:08 UTCPrediction
Pegula. Jovic is already good enough that this is not a ceremonial second-week appearance, and the Alexandrova win showed real nerve. But Pegula is the wrong player to meet after a three-set stress test: she gives no cheap targets, changes direction early, and just won a third-round match in 52 minutes. I think Jovic has a run, maybe a set if the forehand is hot, but Pegula’s baseline discipline wins the long middle of the match.
The case for Jessica Pegula
70% to winPegula has dropped only a small handful of games across her last two rounds, and the Bouzas Maneiro match was a 58-33 point-count squeeze. Her case is repeatable pressure: every Jovic swing comes from one more ball deeper than she wants.
The case for Iva Jovic
30% to winJovic beat the No. 18 seed Alexandrova 6-3 3-6 6-4 and matched her winner for winner. If she keeps that nerve and lands first strikes before Pegula pins her in crosscourt patterns, the upset is live.
Both cases written 2026-07-03, before the first ball — frozen into the record exactly as written, whatever the result. The percentages are mine, quoted to a decimal because false precision is funnier — and tennis has no draw to hide the rounding in.
Tale of the tape
Jessica PegulaIva JovicPlayer vitals: ATP Tour player profiles and Wikipedia (career records) · as of 2026-07-01.
The briefing
Storylines
- Pegula beat Bouzas Maneiro 6-1 6-3 in 52 minutes.
- Jovic beat Alexandrova 6-3 3-6 6-4 to reach the last 16.
- The winner plays Bencic or Gauff.
Watch: US coverage runs on ESPN and ESPN2, and every court streams on ESPN+. The exact linear channel follows the published order of play. (ESPN, as of 2026-07-03)
Court & schedule: Round-of-16 order of play had not yet been posted; this pairing is expected in the Sunday schedule window, with court and exact time to be topped up once the All England Club publishes the order of play. (All England Club order of play (not yet released for the round of 16), as of 2026-07-03)
Venue: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London — grass.
At this Stage
Pegula has reached the last 16 with the least dramatic route available: Vidmanova, then Bouzas Maneiro in 52 minutes, after her opener. Jovic’s route has more weather in it: Cristian, then Alexandrova in three sets, with the teenage No. 16 seed holding up under 18 break chances. The winner gets Bencic or Gauff in the quarter-final. This is a generational contrast with a very practical question underneath: can Jovic hit through Pegula often enough before Pegula’s depth turns every rally into repeat paperwork?
