On the vibrant clay of Stuttgart, where the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix kicked off on April 14, 2025, Jessica Pegula stepped onto the court with a singular focus. The world No. 3, fresh off her Charleston Open title, was all about singles, a shift underscored by her decision to step back from her celebrated doubles partnership with Coco Gauff. In a candid moment before her first-round match, Pegula opened up about why she and Gauff, once a formidable duo who scaled the doubles rankings to No. 1, have pressed pause on their teamwork. “Coco’s not really interested in playing, or at least I’m not—we’re not thinking of playing doubles right now,” she said, her words reflecting a mutual choice rooted in ambition and pragmatism.
Pegula and Gauff’s partnership was a whirlwind of success. Since teaming up in 2021, they clinched five WTA titles, including WTA 1000 crowns in Doha, Miami, and Toronto, and reached the 2022 French Open final. Their chemistry, both on and off the court, captivated fans, with Pegula, now 31, marveling at Gauff’s maturity despite their 10-year age gap. “She’s grown up a lot, knows what she wants,” Pegula once said of Gauff, now 21, whose fiery baseline game complemented her own steady precision. As the only top-10 singles players to also dominate doubles, they were a rare breed, balancing grueling schedules with Olympic dreams. “We wanted to get a medal in Paris,” Pegula recalled, her voice tinged with the sting of their 2024 Olympic second-round loss to Czechs Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova, a 2-6, 6-4, [10-5] defeat that marked a turning point.
The Paris disappointment wasn’t the sole catalyst. The WTA Tour’s relentless pace—week-in, week-out battles across continents—tested their stamina. Gauff, who claimed a doubles Grand Slam with Katerina Siniakova at Roland Garros while Pegula was sidelined by injury, felt the strain most acutely. “It’s just tough to go week-in and week-out on tour,” she said in Toronto last August, signaling her intent to prioritize singles after the Olympics. Pegula echoed the sentiment, admitting doubles had taken a backseat. “I think I’ll just play whenever I feel like it,” she chuckled, embracing a lighter approach. Her 2024 singles surge—reaching the US Open final and winning in Charleston—proved the strategy’s worth, propelling her to a career-high No. 3 ranking and 2,310 Race points, just five behind Iga Swiatek.
For Pegula, the shift wasn’t about burnout but evolution. A knee injury early last year forced her to miss clay events, giving her time to reassess. When she returned, her singles game soared, with a WTA 500 title in Berlin and a final in Adelaide this January. Gauff, meanwhile, focused on her own path, her 2023 US Open singles title a beacon of her potential. Their Olympic loss, coupled with a first-round Miami Open doubles defeat to Sloane Stephens and Ashlyn Krueger, exposed the challenge of juggling both disciplines. “We weren’t at our best together this year,” Pegula admitted, noting how their limited joint preparation—only six tournaments before Paris—hampered their synergy.
The decision to part ways in doubles hasn’t dimmed their bond. Pegula, the daughter of billionaire Terry Pegula, and Gauff, a global star, remain close, their friendship forged through shared triumphs and TikTok banter. “We’re still rooting for each other,” Pegula said, smiling at the thought of Gauff’s electric game. In Stuttgart, Pegula’s eyeing a third title, while Gauff, also in the draw, chases her first clay win of 2025. The WTA Race to Riyadh looms large—Pegula’s Charleston haul keeps her fifth, with Gauff climbing after a Doha semifinal. Neither rules out a doubles reunion, perhaps post-2025, but for now, singles is their stage. As Pegula put it, “We’re focusing on ourselves, and that’s okay.” Their story, paused but not ended, leaves fans hopeful for a sequel when the time is right.