Top seed Jessica Pegula is set to face Leylah Fernandez in the second round of the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open on July 23 at the William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Washington, USA. This WTA 500 tournament will be played on hard courts, with Pegula entering as a clear favorite due to her strong form and past success in the event. The clash holds significant weight in the context of both players’ 2025 campaigns and rankings.
Season Performances Leading Up to Their Match
Jessica Pegula has had a productive year so far, highlighted by runner-up finishes in Adelaide and Miami, plus a hard-court title in Austin. Her 2025 record on hard courts stands at an impressive 20-6. In addition to hard-court success, Pegula has captured a clay title in Charleston and secured a grass-court championship at the Bad Homburg Open, defeating Sofia Kenin and Iga Swiatek in those finals. Nonetheless, she has experienced setbacks in major tournaments, notably a fourth-round loss to Lois Boisson at the French Open and an early exit against Elisabetta Cocciaretto at Wimbledon. As the top seed in Washington, Pegula earned a first-round bye, entering the tournament in the round of 16.
In contrast, Leylah Fernandez has had a steadier but less dominant season, compiling a balanced 17-17 win–loss record. Her best results include quarterfinal runs at Abu Dhabi and Nottingham, where she lost closely contested matches to Ashlyn Krueger and Dayana Yastremska, respectively. Fernandez has struggled on clay and grass courts this year with a 6-9 combined record but began her Citi DC Open campaign confidently, defeating Maya Joint 6-3, 6-3 in the opening round.
Head-to-Head Background Between Pegula and Fernandez
The rivalry between Pegula and Fernandez currently favors the American, who leads 2-0 in their meetings. Their most recent encounter was a thrilling three-set match at the Cincinnati Open last year, where Pegula edged Fernandez 7-5, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (3). This experience and winning mental edge could play a crucial role in shaping the outcome of their Washington showdown.
Odds and Predictions for the Match
According to BetMGM odds, Jessica Pegula is favored to win the match convincingly. Pegula’s record includes 14 career finals on hard courts, resulting in six titles, with a significant breakthrough at the US Open last year when she reached the final on the same surface. She also has prior success at the Citi DC Open, having won the tournament in 2019 against Camila Giorgi.
Leylah Fernandez, though a former US Open finalist in 2021, has won three WTA titles—all on hard courts—with her latest triumph at the 2023 Hong Kong Open where she defeated Katerina Siniakova. Despite this, Pegula’s consistency and home advantage present a compelling case for her to claim victory.
Expert Analysis and Match Outlook
Given their respective forms and histories, Jessica Pegula appears poised to continue her strong run at the Mubadala Citi DC Open. Her comprehensive skill set on hard courts, combined with experience in high-pressure matches, suggests she will control the tempo against Fernandez. Meanwhile, Fernandez will look to use her fighting spirit and prior major final experience to challenge the top seed, but Pegula’s edge in their head-to-head and recent performance makes her the clear favorite.
Expect Pegula to secure a straight-sets win, moving deeper into the tournament while reinforcing her status as a leading contender at this Washington event.
“Pick- Pegula to win in straight sets”
—Expert Analyst