“It was funny that Iga Swiatek ended up winning” – Jessica Pegula reveals details of her pep talk to Pole in lead-up to her Wimbledon triumph

Jessica Pegula recently recalled her attempt to motivate Iga Swiatek ahead of the Pole’s emphatic title-winning run at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. Immediately prior to the grass Major, Pegula and Swiatek had clashed in the final of this year’s Bad Homburg Open, which the American won in straight sets.

Both the American and Pole subsequently arrived at SW19 and began their respective campaigns. For Pegula, this year’s edition of the grass Major was a forgettable one, as she suffered a shock, first-round upset at the hands of Elisabetta Cocciaretto. However, for Swiatek, it turned out to be a memorable Wimbledon, as she dropped just one set on her way to her sixth Grand Slam title.

At a pre-tournament press conference in the buildup to her 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open campaign, Jessica Pegula revisited her pep talk to Iga Swiatek following the pair’s clash in the final of the Bad Homburg Open.

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"You know, she is always kind of down on herself about grass, and I was, like, Hey, you’re playing really good on grass. I’m not really sure why you think you’re bad on grass or what it is," Pegula said.

The WTA No. 4 went on to find it funnily ironic that Swiatek stormed to the women's singles titles at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, despite the Pole's self-doubt regarding her abilities on grass.

"So it was kind of funny that she ended up winning Wimbledon. I was, like, of course I said that, and we had that moment and we played in the final, and then she wins Wimbledon, but that’s just tennis for you. You kind of never know. She’s a great player anyway, so she’s going to be good on any surface," she added.

"I didn't even dream of winning Wimbledon because for me it was just way too far" - Iga Swiatek after becoming new women's singles champion at Wimbledon

Iga Swiatek herself was taken aback by her success at The Championships this year. She expressed her surprise at winning the grass Major during her on-court interview in the aftermath of her dominant victory against Amanda Anisimova in the final, saying:

"Honestly I didn't even dream (of winning Wimbledon) because for me it was just way too far. I feel I'm already an experienced player after winning the Slams before, but I never really expected this one."

The Pole is set to feature at the WTA 1000 edition of the 2025 Canadian Open next, which will take place at Montreal's IGA Stadium, with main draw matches slated to commence on Sunday, July 27.

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