Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff enjoyed a successful doubles partnership.
Jessica Pegula has explained her decision to stop playing doubles with Coco Gauff. The Americans have both reached No. 1 in the world in the doubles rankings and they lifted five titles together. But they ended their successful partnership after last year’s Olympics.
Pegula has continued to enter events with new partners, though she was forced to retire mid-match at the recent Miami Open. And the singles world No. 3 is now planning to reduce her schedule drastically.
The 31-year-old is in action at this week’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where she has entered the singles event and the doubles with countrywoman Desirae Krawczyk.
Pegula is on a five-match winning streak in singles after lifting the title in Charleston earlier this month. But her recent doubles exploits have been less successful – she teamed up with Ashlyn Krueger in Miami but retired from their second-round match.
The world No. 3 has been playing with an array of different partners since splitting with Gauff last summer, and Pegula has now confirmed that the pair have no plans to reunite.
“At the same time doing well in the singles court, we obviously didn’t want to play as much anymore.”
While Pegula is happy to enter some WTA events with other teammates, she will also be cutting back on her schedule in doubles this season.
She continued: “The schedule just gets really, really tough. I’ve barely played this year, probably won’t play any of the Grand Slams this year.
“This week I’m playing with Desirae Krawczyk, who is a really good friend of mine. Hopefully we can do well this week.
“I don’t think I’m going to play any of the Grand Slams just because the scheduling, it gets really hard. I always feel like at the end of the day I’m going to have to pull out or something like that.”
Addressing her recent retirement, Pegula added: “In Miami it was kind of unfortunate to play a long match, then have to play doubles.
“I wasn’t feeling physically fit and had to retire in that match. I think the scheduling makes it hard, but I still love playing doubles when I have. Hopefully we can do well this week.”
Pegula has a bye into the second round of the singles draw in Stuttgart, where she will face either Magdalena Frech or Sara Errani. In doubles, Pegula and Krawczyk will meet Liudmila Samsonova and Nicole Melichar-Martinez.
“Coco and I played so much for a couple years there. We did great. A lot of really amazing results and memories,” she explained.