……Jessica Pegula is the player to beat in the women’s draw of the 2023 Australian Open according to Eurosport expert John McEnroe, following Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff’s exits from the tournament on Sunday. Pegula, who is the highest seed left and world No. 3, has never gone beyond the quarter-final stage of a Grand Slam but her current form makes her the favourite.
Pegula had an impressive 7-5 6-2 win over Barbora Krejcikova on Sunday and is the highest seed left in the draw.
On the same day, Coco Gauff was beaten by Jelena Ostapenko while Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina knocked out Swiatek.
“I think she [Pegula] is mentally rock solid, she’s got herself in a place where it’s intimidating how strong mentally she is,” said McEnroe.
“Her game, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to break down where some of the other players [do].”
He added: “The people that can stop her… Rybakina for example, has got the firepower. She’s hard to beat, she showed that when she beat Iga. So that would be a formidable challenge [for Pegula].
‘Weird being a favourite’ – Pegula reacts to being highest seeded player left in Australian Open.
Pegula plays Victoria Azarenka in the last eight on Tuesday, with Rybakina taking on Ostapenko.
