The top 10 in singles is good. The top 10 in singles AND doubles is better. This is what Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are currently doing.
Gauff arrives in Montreal with the wind in its sails. Winner of the Washington tournament last week, she appears 7th in the world. At 19, she is the youngest of the world’s top 50 players. Pegula, 29, has yet to win a major tournament or even reach the final, but his consistency currently earns him a career-high No. 3 in the world.
But the two Americans are also tied for 3rd in the world in doubles. According to WTA data, since 2010, they are the 13th and 14th players to rank in the top 10, in both singles and doubles. They’re in good company on this list, including sisters Venus and Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Samantha Stosur.
Their situation is reminiscent of a trend that will have to be monitored between now and the Paris Games in July 2024. Gauff does not hide it: his investment in doubles is linked to the Olympic dream.
“One of my biggest dreams is to win a gold medal,” she said in a press briefing on Monday at the National Bank Open. And honestly, in this case, I don’t care whether it’s singles or doubles. A gold medal is a gold medal, while winning a Grand Slam tournament in singles is a lot cooler in singles than in doubles. »
Of course, such a schedule comes with a grueling workload. In 2023 so far, Gauff has played 43 singles matches and 39 doubles matches. Pegula meanwhile has played 48 singles matches – the 2nd most in the WTA – and 38 in doubles.
In Pegula’s eyes, her young partner is “the Energizer Bunny”. “She plays every day, three times a day, she doesn’t care!” launched the charismatic player. But we like it, it’s an opportunity to improve in singles too.
“It’s demanding, but on the other hand, the two of us are the same, we don’t like to sit there and wait. So it’s good to know that even if we lose in singles, we have another opportunity to compete, another chance to win. »
Pegula and Gauff are the No. 1 seeds in doubles. The date of their first match is still unknown, but Gauff said she asked to start her singles tournament on Wednesday, since she played until Sunday in Washington.
The two players also have in common an ease in front of the cameras.
Pegula, for example, started ranting about the Sabers and the Bills. His parents, Terry and Kim Pegula, own the Buffalo Bills, and Terry also owns the Sabers. She therefore necessarily has an attachment to the pearl of western New York State.
Gauff, on the other hand, was candid enough to say that she “kinda” preferred Toronto to Montreal, “because it’s a more American city.”
“But Canadians are generally very nice and that’s probably what I’ve had success with here. They are very respectful, so I try to sign as many autographs as possible, even in the rain, like today. But I never know if the fans speak French or English. This is my biggest challenge when I come to Montreal! »
The poor revealed that she was trying to learn French through an application, since her physical trainer is French. “But my physio and my trainer are Hispanic. And my other trainer, Brad [Gilbert], is from California, he has his own expressions. It’s like everyone wants to teach me their language, and my brain is going to mush! »