The very strong lineup at the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix has been weakened slightly by American No. 2 Jessica Pegula electing to withdraw from the tournament.
It has been interesting to watch Pegula this season. She made a decision over two months ago, which surprised the tennis world and caused much debate about whether it was the right call.
Pegula decided to part ways with coach David Witt after the Australian Open. The move came as a shock to many after the huge progress that the 30-year-old made while Witt was in her team.
Things became even more interesting when Maria Sakkari hired Witt as her coach. The Greek has enjoyed strong success since making this move, reaching the final in Indian Wells and the semifinal in Charleston last week.
Pegula also made the semifinal in Charleston but lost a thrilling contest to Daria Kasatkina in a final-set tie-break. That defeat will undoubtedly have hurt since the American won some very close matches to get to that point.
The six-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist's decision to withdraw from the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix was also not an expected one. No official reason has been given for this decision but there is one plausible theory for why she has done this.
"I hear great things about the event and hope one year I can finally play."
Pegula will be in action at the Billie Jean King Cup on Friday and Saturday, representing her country in Florida. After that, she may feel it is too big of an ask to travel to Stuttgart to play another tournament.
This may also be the case with Emma Navarro, who is another player who has withdrawn from the WTA 500 tournament in Stuttgart. She is also playing for the US in their tie against Belgium alongside Pegula.
It is certainly a blow to the tournament not to have those two great players featured in it. Fortunately, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix entry list is still incredibly strong, with Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff among those set to feature.
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