Coaches shaping Jessica Pegula’s 2026 WTA Finals Riyadh debut

Coaching shifts and the Pegula hierarchy

Jessica Pegula enters the 2026 WTA Finals in Riyadh as the world number 6 after achieving success on all three surfaces. She remains the only player in the women’s game to win titles on hard, clay, and grass. After her five-year partnership with David Witt ended unexpectedly, Jessica Pegula began working with a coaching duo consisting of former doubles world number one Mark Knowles and former NCAA champion Mark Merklein. This transition followed her split from Witt, a move the coach described as a total surprise. While Merklein handles much of the day-to-day coaching work near Pegula’s home, Knowles joins the team during tournaments. Pegula previously reached a career-high ranking of number three while working with Witt, who earned the WTA coach of the year award in 2022. Witt spent 11 years working with Venus Williams before joining forces with Pegula in 2019. Knowles, the son of two tennis coaches, trained at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy before winning All-American honors at UCLA. Merklein, a former professional player for a decade, earned induction into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. You can see her progress through her ability to win on all three surfaces. Pegula joined Venus Williams, Madison Keys, and Coco Gauff as the active American women with double digit career wins.

Vondrousova and the Wimbledon setback

Marketa Vondrousova remains a difficult opponent for the 31-year-old American following their match at Wimbledon. Vondrousova won the encounter 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, ending Pegula’s pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam semi-final. Because of a 23-minute rain pause that forced the closure of the Court One roof, the Czech player, then ranked 42nd, regained control and won five of the next six games. Pegula’s performance at Wimbledon was disappointing because she failed to maintain authority once the conditions changed. She struggled with her consistency during the match, particularly during an erratic opening set where she suffered several unforced errors. The 31-year-old Pegula attacked the net more aggressively in the second set to take a 4-1 lead. Vondrousova, the 2019 French Open finalist, used an array of pace, bounce, and spin to win five of the next six games. This victory made Vondrousova the third woman in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon last four after defeating four seeded opponents. Does Pegula have the mental stamina to handle such sudden shifts in momentum?

Tournament preparation and surface dominance

Pegula’s momentum for the upcoming Riyadh tournament follows her recent success in Dubai. She defeated Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4 to claim her 10th WTA singles title. Svitolina, a two-time Dubai champion, appeared fatigued after her three-hour battle with Coco Gauff the previous day. This victory in Dubai makes Pegula one of only three Americans to win the tournament since its inception in 1993, joining Venus Williams and Lindsey Davenport. Her preparation focuses on the aggressive baseline play that defined her rise in the rankings. Pegula has reached the semifinals or further in every tournament she entered since the previous US Open. Her 2025 US Open run included victories over Victoria Azarenka and Barbora Krejcikova before she lost to Aryna Sabalenka. She will aim to repeat the feat of Mirra Andreeva, who won Dubai and Indian Wells within a few weeks in 2025.

Pegula will turn 32 on February 24. She remains a late bloomer who showed improved fitness and a better serve in recent years. Pegula is the clear favorite in the indoor hard-court environment of the Riyadh event.