The entry list for the 2024 Roland Garros women's doubles tournament has been released, but former finalists Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula won't be playing in it.
It's hardly surprising that Pegula might miss the tournament altogether, as she hasn't fully recovered from an undisclosed injury she picked up while preparing for the clay swing in mid-April.
The 30-year-old American withdrew from the Strasbourg Open, which could indicate that she will withdraw from Roland Garros before the official draw ceremony next week.
Pegula's last appearance on a match court was in April when she helped the USA ease past Belgium to qualify for this year's Billie Jean King Cup. She has since missed all the lead-up tournaments to Paris.
Gauff and Pegula have only played two doubles tournaments as a pair this season. The first was on home soil at the Sunshine Swing. They won two matches in Indian Wells before being knocked out in the quarterfinal. In Miami, they failed to advance past the first round.
In Pegula's absence, Gauff has been forced to search for new doubles partners. In Madrid, the 20-year-old teamed up with compatriot Taylor Townsend and won a pair of dramatic three-setters en route to the quarterfinal, where they lost to Barbora Krejcikova and Laura Siegemund.
In Rome, Gauff changed partners and joined forces with doubles World No. 6 Erin Routliffe. Their alliance clicked almost instantly because they advanced into Sunday's final, where they will face the Italian duo of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini for the Italian Open title.
Gauff and Pegula have hinted that they would dissolve their partnership after the Olympics. However, the US Open champion is still relatively young and can pursue a career in both disciplines at the end of their doubles union.
Admittedly, Pegula is not considering playing doubles in the long term because she is entering the twilight of her career, and singles tournaments will be the sole focus.
So, with injuries curtailing the six-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist's plans, it would be a huge setback in their preparations for the Olympics now that they will not play at Roland Garros together. This year's Olympic tennis tournament will be held at the same venue as the clay Slam.
0 Comments