Jessica Pegula has opened up on her reduced doubles career following a recent partnership with Coco Gauff in Berlin.
Pegula and Gauff fell in the quarterfinals in Berlin earlier this month, with the former also reaching the singles final, which she lost to Linda Noskova.
However, both American WTA stars are now focusing solely on singles at Wimbledon, where Pegula has already progressed into round two.
She was, however, tasked with discussing the doubles format after defeating Darja Vidmanova 7-5, 6-3 on day one of the Grand Slam.
Jessica Pegula states why she is playing less doubles despite missing it
Pegula was asked why players such as herself and Gauff do not play doubles alongside singles so much, and if anything has happened to her game since playing less doubles.
Also questioned if she misses the format, she said: “Yeah, do I miss playing. It was so fun playing with her again in Berlin.
“I felt like when we’re playing well, we complement each other very well. I felt like we were so in sync and we didn’t really lose that much, and we ended up losing a tough one.
“I mean, I miss playing a lot. I think the problem is more of just the scheduling and kind of the really long days.
“Yeah, like, doing well in singles, it’s tough. We would get scheduled so late for doubles, having to come back and play singles relatively early the next day.
“A couple of days I can think of, like, Miami was crazy one year, like, I was still… I don’t know if she was in singles, but I just remember I was playing doubles at, like, so late, and then having to drive home and then come back and play early and it’s hot.
“There is just a lot of times where the scheduling just didn’t quite work out. TV wants us to be at certain times, especially now that we’ve been established singles players for a while.
“But I miss playing. I think it really helped my game. I think it probably really helped her game as well. I think for her too she was so young when we started playing.
“I’m sure it was nice to win tournaments and win titles and be put in pressure situations that were all very new to her, especially someone so young. I think that probably really helped her.
“But I of course miss it. I just, with the schedule, the two-week events, how everything gets so long, you know, kind of always wanted to take advantage of time that you get to go home as well.
“Being in a two-week event and losing early in singles, maybe having a chance to go home I think right now outweighs sticking around, playing singles and doubles, at least for me right now.”
How would you rate Coco Gauff’s chances of winning her first Wimbledon title with this draw?
Jessica Pegula makes big Iva Jovic prediction at Wimbledon
World number four Pegula is the highest-ranked American woman at Wimbledon, followed by fellow top 10 stars Amanda Anisimova and Gauff.
But really impressing in world number 16 is Iva Jovic, who has just drawn huge praise from Pegula at the Grand Slam.
Discussing what she’s made of the 18-year-old, particularly on grass, she said: “I think she won or she was up 5-0? She’s a great player, I think she’s so good.
“I practiced with her a little bit. And then I just remember watching her play in Australia. I didn’t know if I had, like, an idea of where her game was going to be.
“I think she went out for a night match and just destroyed somebody. You could just see the look in her face, like, she means business every time she steps out.
“I think that is something super rare. You don’t always see that in someone so young. I remember watching that match, and I was, like, This girl is going to be really good. You can sense it.
“I think you kind of know when you see someone playing. I feel like she had a great year last year, and then I think has kind of asserted herself as for sure top-20 player.
“I think she can go even higher. She’s gotten so much stronger physically and super fit and competes like an animal. I really respect that aspect of her.
“Yeah, she doesn’t seem to be fazed by whoever she’s facing, which I think is something rare. I think she’s going to have an amazing career for the next 10, 15, however long she decides to play.”
Rising star Jovic is indeed into the second round of Wimbledon, having just defeated Jaqueline Cristian 7-6(7-1), 6-0.
The 16th seed will play the winner of Yulia Putintseva versus Tatjana Maria, while fourth seed Pegula will play Sara Sorribes.
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