Jessica Pegula thought she had the perfect Christmas present idea for Coco Gauff.
Pegula and Gauff were once doubles partners, winning five titles together including three at WTA 1000 level.
However, they have not played together since the 2024 Paris Olympics, but Pegula has not ruled out playing with Gauff again.
Since then they have more often been on the opposite side of the court, including Gauff beating Pegula for the Wuhan Open title, but they still appear to have a strong friendship.
Putting this friendship to the test last year, Pegula revealed what she would have bought Gauff as a Christmas present.
What Jessica Pegula said she would have bought Coco Gauff for Christmas in 2025
Christmas is one of the few times that players get to spend away from the tour, even though some fly out before the day itself for their tournaments in Australia.
However, in a video for Tennis Channel in 2024, American players including Pegula were asked to give Christmas present ideas for their fellow players.
Starting off with Pegula’s gift for Gauff, she answered by talking about her compatriot’s love for anime, which is a type of Japanese film and television animation.
Pegula said, “I just think of her and I think like anime. I don’t really know anime, but maybe something anime themed that would be cool.”
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Gauff was not the only player that Pegula was asked to give a present idea for, as she also needed to give ideas for both Ben Shelton and Madison Keys.
Referencing her contacts with the Buffalo Bills, as her father is the owner, Pegula suggested she would get an NFL related gift for Shelton.
“Maybe I’d get him something from the Bills,” Pegula said about Shelton’s gift. “I feel like he would appreciate that.”
Pegula and Keys have a strong friendship, and now even have a podcast together, which is why she knew that her compatriot would want something for her new home at the time.
“Something for her home interior design that she loves to do, something for her new house,” Pegula added.
The reason why Ben Shelton refused to name a Christmas present he would buy for Roger Federer
Pegula was not the only player who had to name gifts for players, with the aforementioned Shelton having to pick for Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.
Shelton picked something for Fritz’s gaming setup and referenced Tiafoe’s celebrity contacts, but could not think of anything for Federer as he suggested they were not that close.
“I would give him either like a mouse or a keyboard for his gaming set up,” Shelton said when asked about Fritz’s gift.
Shelton then picked Tiafoe’s present, “He needs a lot of things. I’d probably get him like a certificate for a dinner with a celebrity. I don’t know who it would be, because I feel like he’s friends with and has met everybody, but I’d find a celebrity to go to dinner with him.”
He then could not pick a present for Federer, who he claimed probably already has everything he needs, “I don’t know, I feel like he has everything. I don’t really know him like that.”
Who do you think can win a Grand Slam for the first time in 2026?
What all of these active tennis players will actually want as a Christmas present would be a Grand Slam title, which they will be competing for once again in 2026.
This will begin at the Australian Open, which will get underway on Sunday, January 18.
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