Jessica Pegula revealed a conversation she had with Coco Gauff involving retirement. The 31-year-old claimed that they spoke about her possible participation in the 2028 Olympics which will take place in Los Angeles.
Jessica Pegula on Her Conversation With Coco Gauff Regarding Retirement
Jessica Pegula featured on the most recently released episode of the Tennis Insider Club podcast, which is hosted by Caroline Garcia and her husband Borja Duran. The World No. 4 was asked about how long she wanted to play and she spoke about the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Pegula also spoke about a conversation she had with Coco Gauff last year regarding competing at the Olympics, jokingly claiming that the 21-year-old was “mad at her”.
“I think I was talking to Coco and she was like, ‘You can play till LA.’ She was mad at me because I was like ‘Yeah maybe like a couple more years. She’s like, ‘If you’re gonna play two more years, you might as well just play another year for the LA Olympics. And she’s like, ‘You can’t retire before then,'” Pegula said.
“This was like year before so I was like, ‘Four years’. I was like, ‘Coco, that’s a long time, like I’m gonna be 34, what are you talking about?’ She’s like, ‘You can just stay top 20 but the way you hit the ball, you’ll be fine’. She’s like, ‘I’m not letting you retire before the LA Olympics’, especially if I’m qualified,”she added.
Gauff and Pegula previously teamed up at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they lost in the second round of the women’s doubles event.
MORE: Jessica Pegula Gets Honest About Clashes With Parents and Coaches
Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula Both Won Their Respective Opening Matches in Cincinnati
Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are two of the top five seeds at the Cincinnati Open and both players have booked their place in the third round of the tournament. Second-seeded Gauff beat Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-2 while Pegula, who is the fourth seed, triumphed 6-4, 6-3 over Kimberly Birrell.
The World No. 2 will next lock horns with 32nd seed Dayana Yastremska, who beat in her in the opening round of Wimbledon. Gauff leads their head-to-head 3-1 and whoever out of the two comes out on top, will face either 23rd seed Jeļena Ostapenko or Lucia Bronzetti.
Jessica Pegula will next face 31st seed Magda Linette in the third round in Cincinnati. The American has won each of their prior three encounters and whoever out of her or Linette triumphs, will face either 16th seed Clara Tauson or Veronika Kudermetova in the fourth round of the WTA 1000 event.
