Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are set to rekindle their doubles partnership at the 2026 Berlin Tennis Open, joining a draw that also features Serena Williams, who recently made her comeback to the sport after initially retiring in 2022.
While the reunion of the former doubles partners would ordinarily have generated excitement, the decision has also caused confusion following a report that Williams had hoped to team up with Gauff at the WTA 500 event.
Why the Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula Doubles Reunion Is Raising Questions
Williams made her much-anticipated return to tennis at the Queen’s Club Championships, partnering Victoria Mboko. The duo upset No. 3 seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez 7-6(2), 6-2 in their opening match, but their promising campaign came to an abrupt end before the quarterfinals when Mboko suffered a devastating knee injury during her singles match.
During Williams’ stint at Queen’s Club, tennis journalist Jon Wertheim revealed to Andy Roddick on a recent episode of the “Served” podcast that the 44-year-old was keen to partner with Gauff for the Berlin Tennis Open. However, Wertheim suggested that the world No. 7 may view the opportunity as a distraction as she prepares for Wimbledon.
“I heard she’s lobbying. I’ll just say it. I heard she’d like to play with Coco [Gauff] in Berlin. I don’t know if Coco,,, you know, Coco’s trying to win Wimbledon. It’s a big distraction. We’ll see if that actually happens. She has a Berlin wildcard, but I don’t think she has a partner at least in writing,” Wertheim said.
Subsequently, it was revealed that Williams would instead team up with Karolina Muchova at the WTA 500 event, fueling speculation that Gauff may have turned down the offer. However, with Gauff ultimately opting to compete in doubles with Pegula, many fans were puzzled about why she didn’t partner with the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
“I have so many questions. I thought people were so sure Coco refused to play with Serena, but was it even true? Did Serena even want to? Or did they ever plan to play together?” one fan posted.
“😭😭😭😭😭 why didn’t she answer serena’s call damn,” another fan chimed in.
“I love Coco with Jessica but seriously?? Not playing with Serena?” said another.
Fans continued to express their disbelief over the 22-year-old’s decision.
“She wanted to play AGAINST Serena not WITH her,” a fan commented.
“COCO HAS TO BE JOKING IJBOL,” another fan shared.
One fan theorized that Gauff may have already committed to playing with Pegula, leaving her unable to accept Williams’ offer.
“I honestly think Coco already planned to play doubles with Jess in advance. Which is possibly why she is not playing with Serena,” the fan wrote.
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Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula have a long history of playing doubles together, even representing Team USA in the doubles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Although the pair decided to scale back their partnership in 2025 due to the demanding tour schedule, they have chosen to reunite in Berlin.
The American duo will kick off their campaign against Anastasia Potapova and Diana Shnaider. If both teams reach the semifinals, Gauff and Pegula could set up a blockbuster clash with Serena Williams and Karolina Muchova in the final four.
