Who are Jessica Pegula's coaches? All you need to know about the former NCAA champ & former US Open champ who are behind the American's resurgence
Jessica Pegula staged a mighty comeback to beat Karolina Muchova 1-6, 4-6, 6-2 and reach her maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open 2024. She will take on Aryna Sabalenka in the summit clash on Saturday, September 7.
Pegula dealt with a litany of injuries this season, and has emerged stronger than ever after that. She's in the midst of a purple patch as well, having won the Canadian Open and finishing as the runner-up at the Cincinnati Open in recent weeks.
Part of this resurgence can be attributed to Pegula's decision to bring in some new voices in her camp. She parted ways with her former coach David Witt at the start of the season. While she tasted considerable success under his tutelage, she felt the need to switch things up, and it has yielded rich dividends.
Pegula brought on board former doubles pro Mark Knowles as well as former NCAA star Mark Merklein as her new coaches this year. Here's everything to know about the driving forces behind her recent success:
Mark Knowles's experience as a prominent doubles player has helped Jessica Pegula
Knowles' tennis career commenced with three seasons of college tennis with UCLA before turning pro in 1992. He tasted limited success in singles but found his niche in doubles, where he dominated for a long time.
Knowles was a leading doubles player for nearly two decades. He captured three Major titles in men's doubles, winning every tournament except for Wimbledon, all partnering Daniel Nestor. He won the Australian Open in 2002, the US Open two years later, and the French Open in 2007. He also reached another eight Major finals during his career.
Knowles won the ATP Finals in 2007 and qualified for the same on 12 occasions. He captured 17 Masters titles and ascended to the top of the rankings as well. He finished the year ranked No. 1 twice, and in the top 10 11 times, including for eight consecutive seasons from 2002 to 2009.
Knowles announced his retirement at the US Open 2012, where he bowed out in the first round. However, he made another appearance at Wimbledon the following year and competed in one tournament per year until 2016. He finally hung up his racquet for good following a first-round exit from the Irving Tennis Classic in 2016. He finished his career with 55 titles and 44 runner-up finishes.
Since he stopped playing professionally, Knowles has ventured into coaching. He previously coached Mardy Fish, Jack Sock, and Milos Raonic, and started working with Jessica Pegula this year.
Mark Merklein and Jessica Pegula's Florida connection helped them bond quickly
Merklein impressed everyone with his tennis skills during his high school days, which gained him an athletic scholarship to the University of Florida. He represented the Florida Gators men's tennis team in the NCAA and SEC from 1991 to 1994.
Merklein won the NCAA doubles title in 1993 and claimed the singles title the following year. He was named the SEC Player of the Year in 1994 and was inducted into the University of Florida's Hall of Fame in 2005 for his contributions.
Merklein turned pro in 1994, and his singles career didn't last too long. He had a 10-21 record in it and peaked at No. 160 in the rankings. He fared better in doubles, winning four titles, as well as matches across all four Majors. He peaked at No. 37 in doubles and eventually retired in 2004.
After his retirement, Merklein went back to the University of Florida and was hired as the assistant coach for the men's tennis team in 2013. Jessica Pegula shuffles her time between Florida and New York and was aware of his achievements, which led to their collaboration.