After securing her spot in the QF of the 2025 Qatar Open, Jessica Pegula has now become the player with the most hard WTA-1000 QFs reached since 2020. She’s currently labeled with Aryna Sabalenka at 15 on that list! She is now all set to take on Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrov in the QF match.

Alexandrova is in red-hot form in this season, and guess what? She recently secured her 15th Top 10 win! Can she clinch her 16th with the help of an impressive performance against the world number 5?

Jessica Pegula vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova: Preview

After a successful 2024 season, Jessica Pegula managed to start the 2025 season on a positive note! She reached the final at the Adelaide Internation, but over there her compatriot Madison Keys defeated her in a three-set thriller. However, she could only reach the third round of the AO this year. In Doha, Jessica Pegula is yet to drop a set as of now. She defeated Elina Svitolina (UKR) by two sets in the R32 and then outclassed Daria Kasatkina (RUS) by 6-3,7-5 in the R16. Can she come up with a similar dominating performance against the other Russians?

Talking about the ‘Giant Slayer,’ Ekaterina Alexandrova, well this 30-year-old Russian star didn’t have a great outing at the Australian swing, However, she managed to pull up a strong comeback after that. Alexandrova clinched the title at the 2025 Linz Open by defeating Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska in the final by 6-2,3-6,7-5. In the Qatar Open, she defeated Emma Raducanu (GBR) in the first round and then went on to secure her second win over a world number one tennis player. Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated Aryna Sabalenka by 3-6,6-3,7-6(5).

What did she say after becoming the first woman to beat a world number one after losing the first set (since 2019)? “She’s a fighter.. I told myself before the match you need to do the maximum you can do. If you lose, at least you tried everything. I’m glad it paid off,” said Ekaterina Alexandrova after beating the Belarusian in that epic R32 clash. Alexandrova will be entering this match against Pegula following her comprehensive two-set triumph over Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the R16.

Pegula vs. Alexandrova: Head-to-Head

Jessica Pegula and Ekaterina Alexandrova are of the same age and they have been on the Tour together for more than a decade. However, surprisingly, both these players have played against each other only twice in their careers so far. Currently, their H2H record is well poised at 1-1. Pegula is the higher-ranked player in between the two, but Alexandrova has been playing some of the best tennis of her career recently. So, fasten your seatbelts for this blockbuster contest in Doha!

• 2024 Miami QF: Alexandrova 3-6,6-4,6-4.
• 2021 Rome R16: Pegula 6-2,6-4.

Prediction: Pegula to win in three sets

Ekaterina Alexandrova’s incredible form will keep her in the contest in this epic thriller. However, if we take a look at Jessica Pegula’s record of delivering her best game when it matters the most, we feel the American may have a slight edge in this battle. Beating Pegula on this surface won’t be easy, but we know Alexandrova loves taking challenges, right? So, we’re expecting this match to go deep.

If we take a look at the numbers, Jessica Pegula (5) has a win-loss record of 7-2 in this season. On the other hand, Ekaterina Alexandrova (26) has secured a win-loss record of 8-3 in 2025.

Talking about their playing styles, Ekaterina Alexandrova loves playing an aggressive brand of tennis. Her game is usually characterized by powerful serves and equally lethal groundstrokes. She has a unique ability to generate powerful groundstrokes off both wings. It’ll be interesting to see if she dictates the match from the baseline against someone like Jessica Pegula.

Even Pegula has an aggressive style of play, and her game usually comprises powerful groundstrokes. She loves utilizing her wide wingspan to full effect in her matches. For this 30-year-old American, power and precision play a very key role! Her favorite shot is the backhand down the line and Jessica Pegula is regarded as one of the best tacticians on the court. Can her tactics solve the puzzle against the in-form Ekaterina Alexandrova? Well, it looks most likely at the moment.