Jessica Pegula penned a column for BBC Sport, something she's been doing for a while now, and she talked about how playing doubles with Coco Gauff lifts her up.
It's been a very challenging clay season for Pegula, quite a bit below her general level and far beyond the way she performed on the surface last year. She contested a final on clay in Madrid last year but that didn't happen this year as her Roland Garros experience proved quite short as well.
While her singles tennis on clay didn't look good, her doubles tennis is fair and still going strong in Paris. Pegula and Gauff are in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Roland Garros hoping to go all the way as they're yet to win a grand slam together and it's a goal. Those wins are keeping her sane so to speak after a disappointing streak in singles.
But, since losing to Elise Mertens in the singles third round, it has been nice to get a couple of wins in the doubles alongside my regular partner Coco Gauff. That's helped me snap out of the little bit of a lull. It always feels nice to get some redemption. I think getting back on the court as quickly as possibly is the best thing to do, sometimes you can get down and stuck in a negative attitude - at least for me.
Winning in doubles doesn't really negate the disappointment fully but it does offset some of it. While Pegula picked up Gauff in the doubles earlier this year when she struggled in singles, the roles are reversed during this clay stretch. It just works well for them even though neither prioritises the doubles.
Generally, I'd say we are good at picking each other up. While I've got a high ranking in both singles and doubles, like most people, I definitely prioritise the singles, for sure. Doubles is something fun and something I can win at and still be good at. But I wouldn't say I prioritise doubles.
Last year's run in Paris finished in the final as they once again fell short of winning the grand slam. It's a goal and hopefully, it's one they'll get done this year. The experience of playing finals is also beneficial for singles according to Pegula.
Winning a Grand Slam doubles title is definitely a huge goal for us and something we really want. We also use it as a way to get better in the singles. Making the final here at Roland Garros last year was great experience for us and we're determined to go one step further this year.
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