Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff have been at the forefront of American tennis in recent years. Both have consistently ranked inside the WTA Top 5, carrying the torch as the country’s highest-ranked singles players. But their dominance wasn’t limited to singles – the duo also soared in doubles, even reaching world No. 1 together.
As a team, Pegula and Gauff captured four titles – including three prestigious WTA 1000 events – reached two more WTA 1000 finals, and were runners-up at the French Open. They also qualified for back-to-back WTA Finals in 2022 and 2023, showcasing rare consistency in both disciplines.
A Successful Partnership Ends Quietly
They last played together at Wimbledon 2024, reaching the quarterfinals before falling to top seeds Elise Mertens and Su-Wei Hsieh. Since then, both players have gone their separate ways in doubles, appearing with other partners – Gauff alongside Katerina Siniakova and Erin Routliffe, while Pegula teamed up with Giuliana Olmos and Ashlyn Krueger.
Their absence from the US Open doubles draw raised eyebrows, and speculation grew. Speaking at the 2025 Stuttgart Open, Pegula finally addressed it:
“Coco and I played a lot together for a couple of years. We did great, had some incredible memories,” she said. “But at the same time, we were doing well in singles, so we didn’t want to play doubles as much anymore.”
The Grind of the Tour
Pegula, currently ranked No. 3 in the world after recently surpassing Gauff, emphasized the physical and mental toll of competing in both formats:
“The schedule becomes very, very tough. I’ve hardly played doubles this year, and probably won’t play any doubles at the Grand Slams.”
While Pegula still enjoys doubles when she can fit it in, she admitted that managing a packed calendar is a challenge:
“Eventually, I feel like I’ll have to retire from doubles altogether. I still love it, but the schedule makes it hard.”
Singles Taking Priority
The shift in focus appears to be paying off. Pegula recently claimed the WTA 500 title in Charleston and reached the final of the Miami Open. With 10 wins in her last 11 matches, her decision to scale back doubles might be fueling her best singles form yet.
