Jessica Pegula's withdrawal has boosted Team USA's rivals at the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga.
The American team would probably be the strongest in the competition if all their players were available since the country currently has four players inside the Top 10 in the WTA singles rankings.
Coco Gauff is the highest-ranked American at No. 3. She was No. 6 before the Asian swing began but rose after winning her second WTA 1000 title at the China Open and reaching the Wuhan Open semifinal the following week.
The 20-year-old returned to form in Asia with new coach Matt Daly after splitting with Brad Gilbert. That would have made Gauff a particularly valuable member of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals team.
However, Gauff previously confirmed that she would not compete in Malaga. The WTA Finals, which starts on Saturday, will be her final tournament of 2024 before she takes a break until the new season.
Emma Navarro is another Top 10 player. The 23-year-old has not competed since the Wuhan Open, and her season ended after she withdrew from the Ningbo Open with an illness.
This year's US Open semifinalist probably needs a break more than anyone. Navarro's 77 matches in 2024 are more than any other WTA player, and she also has the second-highest number of victories with 53, although Iga Swiatek could surpass that number at the WTA Finals.
Danielle Collins is the only Top 10 American player in the Billie Jean King Cup finals team. The 30-year-old was initially set to make her final professional appearance in Malaga before retiring.
But the former Australian Open runner-up reversed that decision and will compete again in 2025. Collins' teammates undoubtedly hope she finds the level from March and April that saw her win back-to-back titles at the Miami Open and the Charleston Open.
Pegula is the world No. 6, dropping a few places in the latest rankings after losing the points she won from being the runner-up at last year's WTA Finals. The two-time Canadian Open champion joining Collins would have made the American team formidable.
However, Pegula has elected to skip the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. That means the 2024 WTA Finals, where she was drawn against Gauff, Swiatek, and Barbora Krejcikova, will be her last tournament of 2024.
Pegula may feel she needs an extra week off after a season filled with ups and downs. After deciding to part ways with longtime coach David Witt, she was disrupted by injuries in the season's opening half.
After winning her first title of the year at the Berlin Open, Pegula played outstanding tennis during the North American hardcourt swing. She won a second Canadian Open title before finishing as the runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open.
That was followed by reaching her maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open, where she lost to Sabalenka once again. Pegula's form dipped during the Asian swing afterward, and she might need some time to regroup once the WTA Finals are completed.
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