Jessica Pegula is a growing force on the WTA Tour, and her ability to improve key elements of her game is the biggest reason why she’s been able to retain a top-10 ranking while continuing to threaten the elite.
This year, her serve has made a difference.
Pegula has long been a reliable weapon, making a concerted effort to add diversity to the service line over the past few seasons, and the results are starting to show.
The Buffalo native has been working with the “Two Marks” – Mark Merklin and Mark Knowles – since February 2024. After two years together, she credits them with the steady progress she’s made on her serve.
“Honestly, it’s been a long process,” Pegula told Tennis Channel. “A few years ago, just before I started using those two markers, I changed my action, and it was to find that range. It’s not the same as when I first changed it — now it’s a mix — but it’s to feel the different spins and how to hit different serves.
“Honestly, I spent a lot of time on the practice court just getting a feel for different spins and different positions. As I improved on one or two serves, I would gradually improve, and then we slowly added more kicks, more hooks, and then harder hooks. It was a lot of work, but I owe a lot of credit to my coaches — especially Mark Merklin. We spent a lot of time on the serve.”
Pegula, who beat Leila Fernandez 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday to set up a fourth-round showdown with Romania’s Jacqueline Christian, said her focus has shifted from sheer speed to placement and spin.
“I think I was too focused on speed before,” she said. “Now we’re really focusing on spin, which actually helps my speed because I’m more relaxed — my hands, my grip — and I’m more fluid.
Pegula’s key serve statistics, per Tennis Digest, 2024-2026
| Year | Service points won (%) | Year-on-year | Ace percentage (%) | Year-on-year | First serve scoring rate (%) | Year-on-year | Second serve points (%) | Year-on-year | Serving winning rate (%) | Year-on-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 59.9 | — | 4.1 | — | 67.1 | — | 48.6 | — | 72.0 | — |
| 2025 | 60.9 | +1.0 | 3.7 | -0.4 | 67.5 | +0.4 | 50.2 | +1.6 | 74.3 | +2.3 |
| 2026 | 63.2 | +2.3 | 7.3 | +3.6 | 70.4 | +2.9 | 51.0 | +0.8 | 78.8 | +4.5 |
“Now I feel like I’m a little bit of both. I don’t know if I can serve 120, but my velocity has picked up. I think of it like a baseball pitcher — I’m trying to mix up the spin and keep people guessing where I’m serving.”
The numbers back this up. Pegula improved across the board in 2026, with her serve winning rate rising to 63.2% and her hold rate rising to 78.8%, her highest results since she began working with Mark Merklin and Mark Knowles, and there are clear signs that her serve is becoming more effective and diverse.
At 31, Pegula is currently the oldest player in the WTA’s top 10, and if her steady, detail-oriented approach is any indication, she’ll likely retain that distinction for some time. Her willingness to continually evolve and purposefully pursue incremental gains continues to set her apart in a game that rarely stands still.
