Jessica Pegula has praised her fellow American Coco Gauff after losing to her at the WTA Finals.
Pegula was beaten 4-6, 7-6(7-5), 2-6 by Gauff in a high-quality encounter in Indian Wells. With the win, the latter holds a 6-5 head-to-head record over the former. Gauff has now won 19 three-set matches in the 2026 season, fittingly equalling Pegula at the top of that list. The loser of their latest meeting has now opened up on where the tie was won and lost, issuing plenty of praise for her compatriot.
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Jessica Pegula labels ‘insane’ Coco Gauff the best mover on the WTA Tour
Pegula said of her WTA rival after their thrilling WTA Finals clash: “It’s tough when a match gets really physical against Coco, to be honest it’s probably not in my favour. I think the first two sets especially were super physical and I just had a little lull at the beginning of the third, which was unfortunate.
“That first game, I didn’t think I played a bad game, I just didn’t execute very well. I missed a volley, missed an overhead, missed a short ball. I mean, that’s pretty much you’re going to lose the game probably every time.
“I thought she played a bit better, and I still had chances kind of at the end. I got a break back, I think. So yeah, it’s always tough against her. I mean, she just makes you earn every single point in every game.”
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And when asked if anything other than physicality plays a key role in matches against Gauff, Pegula commented: “Yeah, I mean she just gets to every ball, so it makes it really hard for me. I think sometimes playing her, it’s just such a fine line of trying to be aggressive and not overplay.
“And she really, honestly, I thought her movement… I mean I say this every time, but it is the best on tour. Like it’s insane, her court coverage. I felt like I was coming into the net, sticking volleys and I’m ready to walk, turn around and she’s… even if I won the point, she was still there. And I was like, oh my God, how was she even in my frame of where the ball was going?
“So I think with her movement, it’s always just she makes you play those extra points, extra balls. And I think you do, you end up missing a few short balls maybe you wouldn’t miss because you think that, okay well she’s going to get it or what if she gets it?
“And that kind of gets in your head a little bit. So I think it’s a lot of points like that. But yeah, I mean, with us, I feel like we know each other’s game so well. It’s such a fine line I feel like every time we play.”
| C. Gauff | J. Pegula | |
| 53% | Points won | 47% |
| 4 | Winners | 5 |
| 5 | Unforced errors | 6 |
| 4 | Aces | 5 |
| 5 | Double faults | 6 |
The American pair are certainly playing out one of the best rivalries in tennis, with Gauff now narrowly winning that particular battle. The world number four is also one spot ahead of her compatriot in the WTA rankings.
Pegula now takes on alternate Marta Kostyuk in her second match, with Gauff meeting Linda Noskova. However, before that in Group 2, Aryna Sabalenka plays against Karolina Muchova and Elina Svitolina meets Mirra Andreeva.
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