The two-time major champion overcame Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a contest that lasted one hour and 48 minutes, marking Gauff’s fourth consecutive three-set victory in five matches at this year’s Wimbledon.
The win also placed Gauff among an elite group of active players who have reached at least the semi-finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments during their careers. She became the seventh active player to achieve the feat, joining the likes of Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Karolina Pliskova, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
Gauff described her Wimbledon run as “pretty insane” after entering the tournament struggling on grass, having lost four consecutive matches on the surface before arriving at the All England Club.
“It’s pretty insane,” Gauff said of her journey so far. “Considering I hadn’t won a match on grass in two years before this tournament ... I’m definitely just really happy with how I played today.”
The American, who also recovered from a set deficit to defeat Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, will now face No. 10 seed Karolina Muchova in the semi-finals.
Gauff enters that match with a dominant 6-1 career record against Muchova, although the pair will meet on grass for the first time.
“Jess is an incredible opponent and person, playing against her is never easy. I’m just happy to get through this one today,” Gauff added.
Gauff Overcomes Slow Start Against Pegula
Pegula entered the quarter-final clash with confidence, having held a strong record on grass over the past two seasons and leading their previous meetings 5-3. She had also won their only previous grass-court encounter in straight sets.
The 32-year-old made a fast start, breaking Gauff’s serve from 40-0 down in the opening game before securing another break at 3-3 to take control of the first set.
However, the momentum shifted after the opening frame. Gauff raised her intensity, won the final three games of the second set and never surrendered the advantage again.
Pegula managed to hold serve at the start of the deciding set but could not regain control as Gauff maintained pressure and closed out the match with greater confidence.
Reflecting on her improvement, Gauff said she stopped trying to force extraordinary shots and focused on trusting her abilities.
“I felt like in the first set I was maybe rushing out of some points too early, either trying to get out of the rally or overhit too much,” she explained.
“Towards the end, I just really honed in on my game and realized I don’t have to play a spectacular point every time to win, even though there were some spectacular points.”
She added that confidence in her baseline game helped her turn the match around.
“I think just trusting myself, trusting that my groundstrokes are good enough to be with anyone on this surface,” Gauff said.
Pegula Left Reflecting on Missed Chances
For Pegula, the defeat was a painful missed opportunity after entering the final eight as the highest-ranked remaining player in the women’s draw.
The American created several chances but was unable to convert them into momentum. She had multiple break opportunities early in the second set and another chance at the start of the decider but failed to capitalise.
Pegula acknowledged that Gauff improved as the match progressed but admitted she would look back on moments where she could have made different decisions.
“Obviously in hindsight, it’s always easier to say that,” Pegula said.
She added that she felt she did not fully commit to certain strategies when she had control of the match.
“I felt like there were some patterns that I didn’t really stick to, now that I’m kind of digesting,” she said. “There’s definitely probably some patterns I wish that I would have trusted a bit more.”
Pegula also pointed to her serving performance as an area where she felt she could have done better.
“I don’t think I served my best. I thought I served OK, but I think she served a little bit better,” she said.
The loss means Pegula’s record in Grand Slam quarter-finals falls to 3-7, while Gauff continues her pursuit of a fourth major singles final and her first Wimbledon championship.