Jessica Pegula vs Anastasia Zakharova Preview & Prediction | 2026 Australian Open | First Round

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Jessica Pegula faces Anastasia Zakharova in round one of the Australian Open.

Start date/time:

Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia

Surface: Outdoor hard

How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN

How to watch online: UK – discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & Tennis Channel

Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Jessica Pegula vs Anastasia Zakharova ticket information

Jessica Pegula vs Anastasia Zakharova prediction

Jessica Pegula comes into the first major of the season as the world number six and one of the most consistent players on the WTA Tour. She competed in Brisbane and was able to notch up victories over Anna Kalinskaya and Dayana Yastremska before falling to Marta Kostyuk in the semi-finals. Her 2025 season was strong overall, with a number of deep runs, while she won three titles and made the final of two WTA 1000 events in Miami and Wuhan.

Her round one opponent is Anastasia Zakharova. The Russian is ranked just outside of the top 100 of the rankings and attempted to qualify for the main draw in Brisbane but lost to Olivia Gadecki in the first stage.

Pegula’s superior experience, consistency in the pressure moments and ability to neutralise any attacks from Zakharova makes her a firm favourite to dominate the match and advance in straight sets.

Jessica Pegula vs Anastasia Zakharova tip: Under 20.5 games