It’s an all-American clash coming up at the Australian Open. Defending champion Madison Keys is set to face Jessica Pegula in the fourth round on Monday. The two have met three times before, and Keys leads their head-to-head at 2-1. Still, the ninth seed was honest about what Pegula should expect if she tries one particular move in their match.

Speaking on The Player’s Box Podcast alongside Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk, the four pros swapped stories from life on tour with their trademark humor. Keys admitted she caught Pegula’s last match and couldn’t help laughing when the sixth seed flubbed a “hack slice.” When Brady teased that Jessica might hit up Keys for lessons, Pegula had a quick, witty confession to make.

“Can’t wait,” Jessica Pegula said, “Seriously, I’ve been working it. So, I hope I can hit a good one tomorrow and if I win the point, I’m going to be like ‘Yes! Take that!’”

On the other side, Madison Keys replied, “If I get you on any of them, I might just like immediately start laughing.” Pegula laughed back, admitting, “I think so, too. I think I’m going to start laughing depending on the score or I’m going to take the ball and be like, ‘this effing slice forehand.’ We’ll see.”

They’ve basically grown up together on the courts, playing the same junior and pro circuits for more than half their lives. No surprise then that when they meet, the vibe’s light and full of laughs. After years of travel, tournaments, and grind, both now stand near the peak of their careers. Exactly where they’ve always aimed to be.

For all that shared history, they’ve only faced each other three times in fifteen years, all on hard courts. Keys won the last two, including a tight three-set final in Adelaide a year ago. Could the story change this time? Only time will tell.

Still, Jessica Pegula has kept her rhythm going, reaching the Round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the 11th time in five years. There’s more on the line than just bragging rights. The winner will lock in at least one American in the Australian Open quarterfinals for the 12th year in a row, a proud streak that’s been alive since 2014.

On one hand, Jessica is locking in on not missing that slice. Meanwhile, the World No. 9 has also spoken about the obstacles she expects from Pegula ahead of their showdown.

Defending champion makes a confession about Jessica Pegula

Keys and Pegula were both on fire Saturday. Madison overpowered Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena, while Jessica cruised past Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 6-2 on Margaret Court Arena. Neither has dropped a set yet, and both look sharp and confident early in the tournament.

“It’s going to be a tough match. Jess is such a great player,” Keys said when asked about her next challenge. She’s clearly gearing up for a high-intensity American showdown that could light up the Australian summer.

The two pros might share a few similarities, but their games bring very different flavors to the court. Madison Keys plays the role of the puncher, striking flat and hard, while Jessica Pegula thrives on absorbing pace and countering with precision. Both broke serve four times in their latest matches, proving just how aggressive they’ve been right from the start.

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“She’s always so consistently doing well every single week that she plays. She’s such a competitor. She is in every single match. She’s just so gritty. So, you know, it’s always going to be a really tough match,” Keys added.

Now, all eyes are on who will punch that coveted ticket to the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park. what do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!