Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula's doubles partnership is nearing an end, but the American duo are slated to play as a pair for the first time in 2024.
Gauff is celebrating her final days as a teenager before she turns 20 next week. She is the World No. 3 in the singles rankings and has been open to playing doubles despite the compact tennis schedule. Meanwhile, Pegula just celebrated her 30th birthday a few weeks ago.
The World No. 5 played her first tournament since her shock second-round defeat at the Australian Open in last week's WTA 500 event in San Diego. Pegula, with a new coach team following the parting of ways with David Witt, was ousted in the semifinal by Marta Kostyuk.
The older of the two Americans has made it clear that she doesn't have a longer future in the sport compared to Gauff, who is ten years younger. Additionally, Pegula is prioritizing imminent success in singles, throwing a cloud of uncertainty over the doubles partnership with Gauff.
Both players are keen to keep pairing alive until the Olympics when they have a good shot of claiming gold. But beyond that, it is increasingly likely that the former World No. 1 doubles team will terminate their alliance.
But they are penciled in to play one more tournament in the United States. In the recently released draw of the 2024 Indian Wells women's doubles tournament, Gauff and Pegula were confirmed as the fifth seeds.
Gauff fell outside the Top 10 in the doubles rankings, with Pegula's absence in the Middle East being a significant drawback. They won the Qatar Open together last year but didn't get a chance to defend their title.
At Indian Wells, they have a chance to climb the standings. Pegula is ranked 10th in the doubles rankings. They will play their first-round match against the wild card pairing of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin, which is far from a straightforward draw.
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