Coco Gauff and Madison Keys endured moments of frustration during their third-round matches at the US Open, with both players resorting to hitting themselves as an outlet for their emotions. Jessica Pegula has since opened up about not engaging in similar behavior while addressing the incidents involving her fellow Americans.
What Jessica Pegula Said About Coco Gauff and Madison Keys’ US Open Incidents
Gauff locked horns with Cristina Bucsa in the third round of the US Open. Although the world No. 4 cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 victory, she lost her composure after surrendering a break of serve in the second set, causing her to repeatedly hit herself in the head with a ball in anger.
Meanwhile, Keys suffered a devastating loss to Zheng Qinwen. Despite holding a 5-0 lead in the decider, the American failed to close out the win as Zheng mounted an exceptional comeback, saving a match point and claiming a 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 victory. After seeing her commanding lead slip away in the third set, Keys vented her anger by hitting herself in the head with her racket.
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While speaking to the press after her 6-3, 6-4 win over Sorana Cîrstea in the fourth round, Pegula was asked about Gauff and Keys hitting themselves during their matches and whether she had ever resorted to similar behavior. The world No. 3 said she had not, while acknowledging that it appeared to be a painful habit.
“I have never actually done that. I do see a lot of players do. I don’t know. I just looks like it hurts and I just don’t know. I’ve never done it, but I know some players do. No, I don’t know. Never really done it,” Pegula said.
Gauff herself addressed the incident during her post-match press conference, admitting that neither she nor her team was happy with the behavior. She acknowledged that smashing her racket would be a better way to release her frustration, even if it meant having to pay a fine.
“It’s definitely not something I want to do. My team hates when I do that and I hate it too. So I definitely don’t encourage it. I did win I think like eight points in a row after that. So, I don’t know. But I definitely I think sometimes we don’t want to like break a racket. And in hindsight, in our heads, we may think that’s better, but I think it’s worse to hit yourself. I think I should just break the racket, honestly, and just take the fine,” Gauff said.
Having drawn attention for hitting herself with her racket at the Italian Open earlier this year, Gauff revealed that using the ball was considerably less painful. Nevertheless, she warned young fans not to emulate her behavior and expressed her intention to work on finding healthier ways to deal with her frustration on the court.
“So, I definitely think it’s something that I should not do. I don’t think it’s a good thing, and I can’t speak for other players, but definitely it’s not something that I want to do. I mean, I will say with the ball, it doesn’t hurt. I’ve done it with a racket before. Don’t do that. But with the ball, it doesn’t hurt as bad. If you’re a kid, don’t do that. I’m going to work on myself to not do that anymore when I’m frustrated,” she added.
MORE: Coco Gauff Hits Herself in the Head Again During Tense Italian Open Final Scenes
Featuring in opposite halves of the draw, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff can only meet in the final of the US Open. For the blockbuster clash to materialize, Pegula must first battle past Emma Navarro in the quarterfinals, while Gauff will need to defeat Iva Jovic in the fourth round and keep her campaign alive.
