Is this the year that Jessica Pegula makes her first semifinal in Tennis Paradise?

Judging by how the popular Buffalo native has started 2026, it just might be. 

Pegula enters Indian Wells with a sizzling 13-2 record, reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open. 

In one of those ‘what if’ moments, Pegula held two set points on Elena Rybakina in the second set of their semifinal in Melbourne after she had saved three match points, only to be foiled by the eventual champ. 

However, Pegula didn’t let the tough loss get her down, as the 32-year-old took home the title at the WTA 1000 in Dubai in February. 

“Feeling really good,” Pegula told reporters on the eve of main draw play. “Happy to be here after playing some good tennis a few weeks ago. Hopefully, I can continue building on that momentum, especially with such a big swing coming up.”

Pegula enjoys the wonderful Indian Wells setting but the varying tennis conditions — combined with the traditionally higher bounce — have proved to be difficult for the world No. 5. 

In her 11 appearances including qualifying, Pegula has reached the quarterfinals once, in 2021. Meanwhile, at all of the other current 1000s on hard courts, she has found herself in the semifinals, at the very least. 

“I think it's one of the tougher tournaments to win because of how drastic the conditions can change from morning to night, windy, cold, hot, dry,” said Pegula. “It’s very wide variety, and I think you have to be able to adapt really well.

“But I do think that this year I feel a little bit better with my game as far as being able to adapt and have a couple more tools in the toolbox to help me combat those types of conditions.

“So yeah, I think this year I'm kind of looking forward to the challenge of seeing if I can get over that hump a little bit here and see how far I can go. Obviously it's going to be tough. I have a pretty tough section."

Pegula is no stranger to persevering. She ended her Grand Slam quarterfinal jinx by making the US Open final in 2024 and even before then, overcame career threatening injuries. 

Ever the ambassador and known outside of tennis circles since her family owns the Buffalo Bills, Pegula was named chairperson of the WTA’s recently launched Tour Architecture. 

It aims to, from the WTA website, “recommend actionable improvements to the Tour framework that can be implemented as soon as the 2027 season.”

“I think it's something that over the last few years, I think maybe as you mature, you get older, you realize how important it is to give back to the sport,” said Pegula, who previously served on the tour’s player council. “I think being on the player council has taught me a lot of the ins and outs of our sport and all the moving pieces.”

As she turns her attention to moving on court in Indian Wells, Pegula begins against either Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic or the rising Tereza Valentova of Czechia.