What started as a quiet warning turned into one of the most shocking and iconic stories of this year’s tennis season. Jessica Pegula, the only player to defeat Iga Swiatek on grass in 2025, casually predicted something at Bad Homburg—and then watched it come true in the most spectacular way at Wimbledon.
In late June, Swiatek was still considered vulnerable on grass. She reached her first-ever grass court final in Bad Homburg, only to fall to Pegula in a high-quality, tightly contested match, 6-4, 7-5. But instead of boasting, Pegula offered an unexpected compliment during the trophy ceremony:
“You played really well. There’s definitely hope for you on grass.”
Little did anyone know—least of all Swiatek—that those words would foreshadow one of the most dominant title runs in recent Wimbledon history.
Just days later, the Polish superstar stormed through the Wimbledon draw, losing only one set across seven matches and absolutely demolishing Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in a jaw-dropping performance. With that, Swiatek not only won her maiden Wimbledon title, but also became just the second woman in tournament history to deliver a double bagel in a match.
Speaking after Wimbledon, Pegula couldn’t help but laugh at her accidental prophecy.
“I thought she was serving a lot bigger,” Pegula said of Swiatek’s game in Bad Homburg. “I didn’t really watch her much at Wimbledon, but she was already playing great tennis and beating good grass-court players. Our final was very high level and super close.”
Pegula also revealed how Swiatek had still been doubting herself on grass despite the signs of progress:
“She’s always kind of down on herself about grass, and I was like, ‘Hey, you’re playing really well on grass. I’m not sure why you think you’re bad at it.’ It’s kind of funny she ended up winning Wimbledon.”
Even Swiatek herself admitted post-Wimbledon that she hadn’t believed the title was truly within reach for her. But the transformation—sparked by a single loss and an encouraging word from her opponent—was undeniable.
What seemed like a routine defeat in Bad Homburg turned out to be the turning point of the grass season. Jessica Pegula saw it before anyone else—and now, Iga Swiatek reigns supreme on a surface that once haunted her.