Jessica Pegula is keeping it real in Stuttgart. During a press conference at the 2025 WTA tournament, she opened up about why she’s no longer teaming up with Coco Gauff in doubles.
Gauff and Pegula started regularly playing doubles together in early 2022 and quickly became one of the best teams on tour. They hit No. 1 in the world, made it to the French Open final, and won big titles like Miami and Toronto. Their chemistry was solid, both on the court and off, so some fans have been wondering why they haven't reunited.
At the press conference the week of April 14, the 31-year-old pro explained, “Coco and I played a lot together for a couple of years, we did great, had many good results, and really incredible memories."
“At the same time, we were doing well in singles, so obviously, we didn't want to play doubles as much anymore. The schedule becomes very, very tough," she continued.
Pegula admitted she’s barely played any doubles this year—and doesn’t expect that to change. “I don't think I will play any of the Grand Slams in doubles because the schedule is very tough. I always feel like eventually, I will have to retire or something like that,” she added, half-joking but making a point. “The schedule makes it hard, but I still love playing doubles when I can.”
It’s a bittersweet shift, especially since Pegula and Gauff were one of the most exciting doubles teams on tour. But with both women making deep singles runs, it's clear they’re choosing longevity—and sanity—over stretching themselves too thin.
How they did at Stuttgart
Both of the powerhouses were in the WTA 500 tournament, each making it to the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, neither of them took home the trophy. Russian tennis player Ekaterina Alexandrova triumphed over Pegula in the quarterfinals on April 19, winning in straight sets with a score of 6-0, 6-4.
Gauff was also eliminated in the quarterfinals after going head-to-head with the Italian Jasmine Paolini. She lost the next six games, with Paolini getting it done in two sets: 6-4, 6-3.
In the end, Jelena Ostapenko was the winner of the tournament, with the Latvian claiming the ninth WTA singles title of her career.