Jessica Pegula recently left out Coco Gauff when naming her closest friends during a media event ahead of the German Open in Berlin. Pegula, currently one of the top seeds at the tournament as the defending champion, shared her list of tennis players she is close to while preparing for her campaign, which begins on June 18 from the Round of 16.
When asked about her friendships with other players, Pegula mentioned Madison Keys, Jenny Brady, Dez Krawczyk, Caroline Dolehide, and Ashlyn Krueger. However, she noticeably omitted Gauff initially, only to promptly realize her oversight and admit,
“Oh yeah, Coco, sorry, I forgot her. Don’t, don’t put that in there, because she’s getting mad at me [laughs].”
This exchange highlighted the genuine camaraderie Pegula shares within the tennis community, including with Gauff, despite the temporary lapse in mentioning her.
The End of the Doubles Partnership Between Pegula and Gauff
Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff ended their successful doubles partnership earlier this year after not playing together since the Paris Olympics in 2024. Their collaboration had been highly fruitful, with multiple notable achievements such as three WTA 1000 doubles titles and finishing as runners-up at the 2022 French Open. The pair had risen to the top of the doubles rankings during their time together.
Pegula explained that the split was primarily due to demanding schedules and different priorities in their careers. Balancing singles success with doubles commitments proved difficult, leading them to step back from the partnership.
“I mean, Coco and I played so much for a couple of years there. We did great. A lot of really amazing results and memories. At the same time doing well in the singles court, we obviously didn’t want to play as much anymore. The schedule just gets really, really tough,”
—Jessica Pegula, professional tennis player
Since ending their doubles partnership, both players have shown significant progress in their singles careers, indicating that the decision has benefited their individual goals.
Current Tennis Season and Pegula’s Outlook
Jessica Pegula is entering the grass-court portion of the 2024 tennis season with high expectations as she defends her title at the German Open. Given her status as the defending champion and her high ranking, she received a bye directly into the Round of 16, which will begin on June 18. This positioning allows Pegula to focus her preparation and energy on deepening her run at the tournament.
The American’s ongoing friendly dynamics with fellow players like Madison Keys, Jenny Brady, Caroline Dolehide, and Ashlyn Krueger, along with her renewed singles focus post-doubles split with Coco Gauff, underline her balanced approach to competition and relationships on the tour. Despite the lighthearted moment about forgetting to mention Gauff, the strength of their connection remains clear.