Jessica Pegula claimed her second career grass-court title at the Bad Homburg Open, defeating Iga Swiatek in the final. This win marked Pegula’s third title of the season and stopped Swiatek from capturing her first since Roland Garros last June. Now, Pegula begins her Wimbledon campaign against Elisabetta Cocciaretto—a matchup that promises excitement and high stakes.
Cocciaretto’s 2025 season has been a journey of gritty determination. She made it to the second round of the French Open and competed at the Australian Open. Though she hasn’t clinched a title yet, her resilience stood out at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, where she saved four set points against Hartono, showing growing on-court maturity. With a 14-17 match record this year, she is working hard on consistency across surfaces, shining especially on grass with a promising 5-2 record. But what’s her story?
A look at Elisabetta Cocciaretto’s tennis journey
Born in Ancona, Italy, she started on the opposite coast in Cecina, where she went to school, and now she calls nearby Fermo home. Her parents, Jessica and Piero, along with younger brother Alessandro, have been her biggest supporters from the start. “My father was playing, not professionally, just for fun,” Elisabetta once shared. At five, she watched an under-12 tournament in Porto San Giorgio and told her dad, “Papa, I want to play.” He said, “OK, you will play in October,” and the rest is history.
Unlike her dad, who played tennis casually, her mom Jessica didn’t play much but has a strong presence in politics. Still, both parents jumped in to back Elisabetta’s passion. “The coach said I was good and I could do well, so I started playing little tournaments from seven, eight, nine,” she said. Her love for tennis grew every day, even as she dabbled in swimming and dancing. By age eight, tennis was her clear favorite, but she never let go of her academic side.
Elisabetta’s smarts shine off the court too. She earned a law degree from the University of Camerino, explaining, “I was good at school and liked studying, so I wanted to continue to university. I wanted to know more about the culture of government and how things work. But I don’t like maths, so I didn’t want to study economics. I have a good memory, so that helps with law.” With that sharp mind and her passion for tennis, she’s had an impressive few years on tour and is only getting started.
Elisabetta Cocciaretto’s time on the WTA tour
Cocciaretto’s rise since leaving the junior ranks has been electric. In 2019, she soared from World No. 750 to No. 215 and kicked off 2020 by qualifying for her first Grand Slam at the Australian Open. She steadily climbed, breaking into the Top 30 by August 2024 after winning the WTA 125K title at San Luis Potosi and posting strong Grand Slam runs, including third rounds at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Her 2024 highlight was reaching the Round of 16 at Roland Garros before falling to Coco Gauff, plus a second-round showing at the US Open. On tour, she made her first semifinal at Birmingham, losing to eventual champion Putintseva.
Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – June 2, 2024 Coco Gauff of the U.S. shakes hands with Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto after winning her fourth round match REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
Her breakthrough came in 2023 when she won her first WTA singles title at Lausanne, beating Clara Burel 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 in a thrilling final. Cocciaretto dedicated the win to her coach Fausto Scolari: “This title is not only mine but also that of my coach. We have been working together for 16 years, I started with him in the Junior circuit. I want to thank him for the passion he has always transmitted to me.” Earlier that year, she reached her first WTA final at Hobart, falling to Davis.
Despite a knee injury sidelining her in mid-2021, Cocciaretto bounced back with strong performances, including a quarterfinal at Budapest in 2022 and a semifinal in Guadalajara in 2021. Since her pro debut in 2017, her journey has been marked by grit, growth, and a hunger to challenge top players like Jessica Pegula at Wimbledon.
Will Elisabetta Cocciaretto take down Pegula?
Pegula has firmly established herself as a powerhouse this season, heading into Wimbledon as the third seed with three titles already under her belt. She claimed victories in Austin, Charleston, and most recently on grass at the Bad Homburg Open, where she defeated former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-4, 7-5. Pegula’s form has been impressive, making her a formidable contender on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
Cocciaretto, meanwhile, has had a mixed lead-up to Wimbledon, reaching the semifinals at the Libema Open but facing an early exit at Eastbourne. The two have met before on the Wimbledon stage—in the 2023 third round, where Pegula ousted Cocciaretto in straight sets 6-4, 6-0, leaving her in the lead in their head-to-head. With that history, the question on everyone’s mind is: will Cocciaretto get her revenge this time? Only time will tell!
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