Jessica Pegula dumped out of Rome Open after heroic effort from Elise Mertens, Coco Gauff set to become World No.2

Jessica Pegula is out of the Rome Open and Coco Gauff will become World No.2 next Monday after the demise earlier today of Iga Swiatek.

Pegula lost out late on Saturday night to Elise Mertens 7-5, 6-1 and reaches the Last 16 in Rome. The Belgian improves her Head to Head to 4-1 all time with the only win for the American coming earlier this year.

So certainly one where Mertens has her number for sure and that was evident again. She grabs her first top 10 win since 2023, two years after defeating Pegula at Roland Garros.

Always a player who threatens to produce huge results but runs into big names early, she now has a big opportunity. Despite losing out to Mertens, Pegula who defends very little during the clay court swing will surge up to World No.3.

But it was a battle between her and will continue to be so until the grass court season between Pegula and Gauff for that World No.2 spot and will likely change hands again during the next few weeks. Now with Pegula out also, it unlocks a huge section.

Diana Shnaider now faces off against Mertens in the Last 16 in a part of the draw which also features Jasmine Paolini v Jelena Ostapenko.

Also with the demise of Swiatek today, it sees Peyton Stearns face Naomi Osaka while Elina Svitolina takes on Danielle Collins. Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff inhabit a much tougher top section of the draw so likely we will get an interesting name in the final come what may whether that is Svitolina for instance down to a player like Shnaider or Stearns.

But it won't be Pegula who is now out of the tournament at the hands of Mertens. A poor result also after also losing to Moyuka Uchijima who couldn't follow it up in Rome either losing easily to Eva Lys.

Match Statistics Mertens vs. Pegula