Updated March 11, 2026, 6:29 p.m. PT
American Jessica Pegula outdueled Belinda Bencic on Wednesday to make the quarterfinals, matching the deepest she’s ever gone at the BNP Paribas Open.
It was a confident 6-3, 7-6 (5) win over an opponent in Bencic whom Pegula had lost to all four times they had played previously.
That was an important development Pegula, the No. 5 seed, said.
“Really happy with today, being able to turn around my pretty poor record against Belinda. So, you know, when you’re able to figure that out and get over that hump, it’s always a good feeling,” Pegula said. “Just excited that I was able to, yeah, accept that challenge and figure it out.”
The next thing for Pegula to figure is how to get past the quarterfinals here. She has played in the main draw eight times and this will be the second time she’s reached the quarterfinal. It will be a tough task as she faces current Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina on Thursday.
Pegula is also the last American woman standing, and the final hope to end the much-discussed 25-year drought for American women in this event. No American has won in Indian Wells since Serena Williams in 2001.
But that’s down the road. Right now she’s just happy to be playing well. Of course, she wants to win, but her consistency (eight straight quarterfinals or better) is something she’s proud of.
“Even though obviously you play to win tournaments, I do think I have taken a little bit more pride in how I’m able to show up every single match week in, week out, and be able to be right there every single week,” she said. “I want to keep going further in those tournaments and further here, but I’m not really sure what it is. I think I don’t have a lot of highs and I don’t have a lot of lows. Whenever I do, I think I snap out of it very quickly, and I get back to work and get back to working on things and improving things.”
Siniakova pulls out with right hip injury vs. Svitolina
Two days after upsetting the defending champion in a grueling match, Katerina Siniakova could not make it through her quarterfinal against Elina Svitolina on Wednesday.
Sniakova retired early in the second set with a right hip injury. She had lost the first set 6-1 and the second set was tied 1-1. This setback came two days after she beat 2025 champion Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3.
The ninth-seeded Svitolina will now face No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek in Thursday’s quarterfinal.
Rybakina advances when Kartal retires
In a match that may have been nearing its conclusion anyway, Rybakina led 6-4, 4-3 when Kartal had to stop playing due to a back injury.
Rybakina, the Australian Open champ and 2023 winner in Indian Wells, will face Jessica Pegula on Thursday.
