Martina Navratilova thinks Jessica Pegula can win Wimbledon. On Monday, Pegula started her campaign with a 7-5, 6-3 win against Darja Vidmanova.
What happened at Wimbledon?
Pegula is the top-ranked American at the tournament. She is chasing her first Grand Slam title. Navratilova, a nine-time Wimbledon singles champion, joined the Tennis Channel team to assess Pegula's game.
Navratilova said: "No reason why she can't win here." She likes Pegula's serve and volley. Navratilova thinks Pegula moves well enough on the court.
Why does Navratilova think Pegula can win?
Pegula's best Wimbledon result was a quarterfinal run in 2022. Last year, she lost to Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the opening round. Navratilova wants Pegula to love the grass court. Pegula has been downplaying her liking for grass to get better results.
Pegula won the grass-court title in Berlin in 2024. This year, she reached the final there but lost to Linda Nosková. Navratilova thinks Pegula's success on Germany's grass courts can translate to Wimbledon.
What comes next for Pegula?
Pegula is targeting her third title of 2026. She has already won trophies in Dubai and Charleston. Navratilova's comments came after Pegula's recent mindset revelation. Pegula said she has taken on a mindset that she doesn't like grass as much as everyone thinks.
Navratilova thinks Pegula needs to embrace the grass court. She said: "But you have to embrace grass; you've got to love it." Pegula will try to use this mindset to get better results at Wimbledon.
Pegula's next match will be a big test. She will face a tough opponent in the next round. Navratilova will be watching to see if Pegula can win Wimbledon.