Over the past few days, we have witnessed some thrilling action unfold at the Flushing Meadows. Top players across the globe descended to New York to attain glory at the US Open. After some intriguing play, we are at the last-eight stage of the tournament now, which has some exciting matchups on the cards. Among them is the battle between the top seed, Iga Swiatek, and local favorite, Jessica Pegula.

While the tournament’s favorite and defending champion, Coco Gauff lost early, the onus is on the likes of Pegula and Navarro to carry the American hopes. However, Pegula has a tough match to play and she would be hoping for the vocal American crowd to lift her spirit.

Iga Swiatek vs Jessica Pegula: Preview

After the highs of winning the French Open title earlier this season, it has not been a great time for Swiatek on the court. She has yet to win a title since and is now aiming for glory at the US Open. Despite not having the greatest of the past few weeks, Swiatek has had a great 2024 season which included wins in Qatar, Indian Wells, Madrid, and Rome, apart from the French Open. Further, she is on a roll at the ongoing US Open as well, dispatching her opponents without any troubles. As a result, the Pole looks like the favorite going into the match against Pegula.

On the other hand, it has been contrasting fortunes for Pegula this season. While she has been in good form of late, the American star had a poor start to the 2024 season. She made a strong comeback to taste success in Berlin and Toronto. Further, in the recently-concluded Cincinnati Open, she reached the finals before losing against Aryna Sabalenka. Looking to carry the momentum forward, Pegula will hope to outclass Swiatek to reach the semifinals of the US Open.

Swiatek vs Pegula: Head-to-head

The two are familiar foes and have found each other on the opposite ends of the court often. Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula have been playing at the top level for quite some time now and have faced each other 9 times before. While the American star has managed to sneak out a win on three occasions, Swiatek has dominated their rivalry with 6 wins.

However, the two are yet to face each other this year, with their last clash coming at the WTA Finals, where Swiatek won in straight sets 6-1, 6-0. Nonetheless, Pegula would like to settle the scores when the two face each other later today.

Prediction: Expect Swiatek to silence home fans

Iga Swiatek will be up against not just Pegula but also the local crowd, who will be cheering for the latter. However, Swiatek is a big-match player and handles pressure situations extremely well. While the Polish star is the top-ranked player on the WTA circuit, Pegula is positioned five spots below her at no. 6. Additionally, Iga Swiatek is a clear winner when it comes to their win-loss record this year. She has lost just 6 matches in 2024 while winning an astonishing 50 matches. On the other hand, Pegula has lost 10 of the 39 matches she has played in this season.

Although there remained some concerns about Swiatek’s form going into the US Open, she proved she was in top form with a thumping 4th round win over Liudmila Samsonova. Swiatek pocketed 88% of points on first serve and 45% of the receiving points. She is expected to win her match over Pegula in straight sets and enter the semifinals. Their match will take place at Arthur Ashe Stadium later today.