America’s World No. 4 Coco Gauff has been dealt another blow in her tumultuous 2025 season. Fresh off early exits at the Australian Open, Qatar Open, Dubai Tennis Championship, Indian Wells Masters, and Miami Open, the 21-year-old phenom now faces an unexpected rift in her doubles career. Her longtime partner—a fellow Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 in doubles—has abruptly ended their collaboration, citing a startling reason tied to their diverging ambitions.
As Gauff scrambles to salvage her year, this split adds another layer of complexity to her quest for redemption.
Prioritizing singles over shared success
The bombshell revelation comes from none other than Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff’s former doubles ally and a three-time major winner. The pair, who clinched five titles together and soared to the top of the doubles rankings, called it quits after last year’s Olympics. Pegula, now focusing on a resurgent singles campaign, recently disclosed that balancing both formats became untenable.
“At the same time doing well in the singles court, we obviously didn’t want to play as much anymore,” she admitted, highlighting the grueling demands of the WTA calendar.
For Pegula, the decision stems from a strategic pivot. Riding a five-match singles winning streak—including a recent title in Charleston—the 31-year-old is trimming her doubles commitments to preserve her body and focus on Grand Slam aspirations.
“The schedule just gets really, really tough,” she explained, noting her plan to skip doubles at majors this year. “I always feel like at the end of the day I’m going to have to pull out or something like that.”
From triumphs to fatigue
Gauff and Pegula’s chemistry once seemed unshakable. Their synergy produced iconic moments, including a run to the 2022 French Open final and Olympic glory. But behind the scenes, the grind took its toll. Pegula’s recent doubles ventures—teaming with Ashlyn Krueger in Miami and Desirae Krawczyk in Stuttgart—have been marred by retirements and uneven results, underscoring her physical and mental exhaustion.
The final straw came in Miami, where Jessica Pegula retired mid-match after a grueling singles clash, later confessing,
“I wasn’t feeling physically fit… The scheduling makes it hard.”
For Coco Gauff, the split leaves a void. While Pegula experiments with new partners (like Krawczyk this week in Stuttgart), the younger star must navigate the doubles circuit without her trusted confidante—a challenge compounded by her singles slump.
Coco Gauff’s uphill battle
The timing couldn’t be worse for Gauff. Already reeling from a string of singles defeats, she now faces the daunting task of rebuilding her doubles identity. Pegula’s absence strips away not just a teammate but a mentor-like figure who balanced Gauff’s fiery intensity with veteran poise.
While Jessica Pegula thrives in singles—she’s seeded third in Stuttgart and eyeing a deep run—Gauff’s search for a new partner adds pressure to an already fractured season. Options are slim: the doubles elite often pair early, leaving Coco Gauff to gamble on untested alliances or go solo—a risky move for a player craving stability.
What’s next?
Jessica Pegula’s candid admission—“We did great. A lot of really amazing results and memories”—hints at nostalgia but no regret. For her, the path forward is clear: fewer doubles, more singles glory. For Gauff, it’s a wake-up call. Does she chase a new doubles dynamo, or channel her energy into reviving her singles magic?
One thing’s certain: In tennis, partnerships are fleeting, but reinvention is eternal. For Gauff, the game—and the journey—must go on.