Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff suffered heartbreak as the favorites were ousted in the second round of the Olympics doubles event.
However, they must quickly wash out the bitter taste left from defeat as they both lead a star-studded lineup for the WTA 1000 event in Toronto this week.
Despite heading into the tournament as the number one seed, Gauff has low expectations for the Canadian Open after disappointment in Paris.
Pegula, on the other hand, will be eager to emulate the form she produced in Canada 12 months ago that propelled her to success against Gauff and Iga Swiatek en route to picking up her second Masters title.
The world number six and defending champion has had a troublesome year with injury, but she is no stranger to finding results on the North American hard courts.
Jessica Pegula claims Coco Gauff has matured
Despite being 10 years the senior of Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula is someone who knows the 20-year-old star better than most.
The two Americans have won five WTA doubles titles together, having also narrowly missed out on a major crown in the 2022 French Open final.
When asked about the world number two’s attitude, Pegula said: “I think she [Gauff] has definitely grown up a lot and matured over the last few years.
“She’s now much more sure of herself and knows what she wants. Also she is hitting that age where you are learning all that stuff. You are trying to figure out what you want, how you want it, making more of your own decisions and we have seen that over the past year now.
“Around this time of year is when she really started doing well and got hot last summer. I have definitely noticed that a lot more and she is not afraid to speak her mind and be very open and direct with what she feels like she needs. That’s something I have noticed over the last year or year and a half for sure.”
Gauff’s success in North America
In 2023, after exiting Wimbledon in the first round, Gauff experienced a rather underwhelming summer by her lofty standards.
However, she was lightning fast out of the blocks when she touched down on North American soil.
In August, she clinched titles in Washington and Cincinnati before soaring to glory at the US Open where, at 19, she became the youngest American woman to win in New York since Serena Williams.
So, after a lackluster showing at the Olympics last week, Gauff will be confident about returning to her beloved hard courts.
She gets her Canadian Open campaign underway against Wang Yafan of China on Thursday.
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