Okay, so we’ve got an exciting R16 matchup at the 2025 Qatar Open: in-form American Jessica Pegula going up against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina. Pegula, you might remember, had to skip the Middle East swing last year due to injury, but she was a finalist here in 2023, so she’s definitely got some history with this tournament. Kasatkina’s best run was back in 2017 when she made the quarterfinals, and she had an early exit last year, so she’ll be hungry to do better this time around. Both players have something to prove, which should make for a great match. But the big question is: who’s going to come out on top?

Jessica Pegula vs Daria Kasatkina: Preview

In 2025, Jessica Pegula has already played two tournaments so far. She reached the final of the Adelaide International where she was defeated by her compatriot Madison Keys in a three-set thriller. Walking on the similar path, she was then defeated in the R3 of the 2025 Australian Open. Then came Doha, where she outclassed Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina by 6-3,7-6(3) in the R32. 

While Daria Kasatkina reached the QF of the 2025 Adelaide International, but she looked pretty much ordinary in the rest of the tournaments this year. She went down to America’s Emma Navarro in the R4 in Melbourne! However, things are looking quite bright in Doha for this Russian superstar! She’s currently on a two-match winning streak in Doha. Kasatkina defeated Armenia’s Elina Avanesyan by 6-2,6-3 in the previous match. Can she upset the American star in the next match?

Pegula vs Kasatkina: Head-to-Head

Jessica Pegula and Daria Kasatkina have met each other three times on the Tour so far. Although they were supposed to play against each other in the SF of the 2024 Adelaide International, Pegula was forced to withdraw from that match. Currently, their H2H record is at 2-1 in favor of the American.

• 2024 Charleston SF: Kasatkina 6-4,4-6,7-6(5).
• 2023 Tokyo QF: Pegula 6-1,6-0.
• 2021 Rome R64: Pegula 7-5,6-3.

Prediction: Pegula to win in three sets

Beating Jessica Pegula here won’t be easy! Although she didn’t appear in this tournament last year, the American looked quite impressive on these surfaces in the 2023 season. The conditions favored her at that time. Are we going to see a repetition of the same in this year?

Jessica Pegula has been in comparatively better form in the last few months, so ruling her out in this epic battle won’t be a wise decision. If we take a look at the numbers, Jessica Pegula (5) had a win-loss record of 39-17 in the previous season, while she has recorded 6-2 in the 2025 season so far. How has Daria Kasatkina performed in the last few months?

Well, Daria Kasatkina (12) had a win-loss record of 40-23 in the 2024 season, but in 2025 she has managed to put up a record of 8-4 as of now. Now talking about their playing styles, Daria Kasatkina is a baseliner player with a crafty style of play. She loves employing a variety of shots, including heavy topspin forehands, one-handed backhands, drop shots, kick serves, and guess what? Kasatkina is often seen using tweeners in her matches too!

She loves to outsmart her opponents with her tactics and perhaps she’ll be trying the same against someone like Jessica Pegula as well. However, her biggest concern so far has been a high number of double fault counts. She hit 106 aces in the 2024 season, but committed 316 double faults!

On the other hand, Jessica Pegula loves playing an aggressive brand of tennis. Her game usually comprises strong groundstrokes and Pegula loves utilizing her wide wingspan to full effect in her matches. Power and precision are the two key factors in this 30-year-old American’s game. Jessica Pegula’s favorite shot is the backhand down the line. She also has a good return game and interestingly, Jessica Pegula is also regarded as one of the most tactically intelligent players on the Tour. Who will win the battle of the two tacticians? Well, the American has the upper hand at the moment!