NATIONAL BANK OPEN

August 14, 2022

Coco Gauff

Jessica Pegula

Press Conference

C. GAUFF, J. PEGULA/N. Melichar-Martinez, E. Perez

6-4, 6-7, 10-5

THE MODERATOR: Coco, Jessica, congratulations. Lots to celebrate today. Firstly you both win a title and of course becoming world No. 1.

COCO GAUFF: It feels great. Jess and I, the partnership started off I think we had three first-round losses. But I knew that we had good games in singles so I knew it could transfer to doubles.

Then being No. 1 is pretty cool. I have no words. I'll still like, I didn't really know it was coming this week and what I had to do. But she told me yesterday (laughing.) It didn't make me more nervous though. I think if it was singles, I would have been more nervous.

THE MODERATOR: Jessica?

JESSICA PEGULA: Oh, yeah, amazing. I'm so glad that I could help her get there today. Pretty amazing being 18 and being No. 1 in the world in doubles. We're I think No. 1 in the Race and top two Americans in singles. So it's been pretty cool little journey that we're on together, even though I'm 10 years older, (laughing.) It's been awesome. It's been really cool. Yeah, it's been super exciting.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. How has doubles kind of helped your game singles-wise? Like, how has that kind of translated over do you feel?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I feel like it helped a lot. Especially returning. I feel like there's more pressure returning in doubles just because you know that there's a net person there. I feel like my returns have been getting better and better, and I think it is because of doubles. Then serving, I mean, you guys know this week I wasn't serving best, but this is my first match I think no double-faults.

JESSICA PEGULA: You didn't have any.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I didn't have any. So maybe this is the start of something (laughing.)

Q. Coco, just curious, was reaching world No. 1 in doubles ever a goal for you? Because obviously I think both of you are predominantly singles players.

COCO GAUFF: As a kid, I'm going to be honest with you, I didn't even know there was separate rankings for singles and doubles. So as a kid, no. But when I got on tour and when I realized I could do well in doubles, yes.

It wasn't so much like I didn't put pressure on myself to do it, but like, I mean, I wanted to. I mean, who wouldn't want to be No. 1 in anything?

But yeah, I would say whether I got on tour and started doing well in doubles and my ranking started going up, I realized that No. 1 was possible. As a kid I didn't know there was separate rankings for singles and doubles.

Q. At one point in the second set I think you guys missed six match points, was it? And I know there was a funny reaction when you couldn't convert the sixth one. You were like, Oh, my goodness, is this going to happen. And it really came down to the wire. How did you really respond to all of those match points and what was kind of your mindset going into that match tiebreak?

JESSICA PEGULA: I mean, yeah, it was frustrating, especially because some of those shots clipped the line or she missed a backhand by an inch. It gets frustrating. I think we were kind of like, Crap.

But at the same time it's like, Okay, we'll right back. We had to get right back. And I honestly thought we would win the second-set tiebreak because I felt like we were outplaying them. But then again a couple unlucky returns, a couple good shots. You never know what's going to happen.

Then we found ourselves in a third-set tiebreak. You have to keep the same mentality. You have to keep going for your shots. We knew what we had to do. I think it's really important in those tiebreaks to keep up the energy, because like we got up to a little lead there and then they kind of came back again.

You have to just literally play for every single point as best you can because you never know what's going to happen. But, yeah, I think you're disappointed, but then you have to just let it go and move on to the next point.

Q. I was just wondering if you could talk about team dynamics on court and if you intend to play together at the next tournaments.

JESSICA PEGULA: Yeah, we're signed up to play everything I think the rest of the year. Hopefully year-end. I'm sure we'll probably play (laughing.) Yeah, we're ready to play the rest of the year. We committed to it, especially after we won Doha for the Race, and just finally doing well at a tournament together, like she said.

We were kind of like, All right, well we need to keep playing the bigger tournaments. Luckily our schedules have been pretty much the same, which helps. We're both doing well in singles, and that just gives us more opportunity to play together.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think that the team dynamic is great. I think because we're both doing well in singles, we kind of understand what each other needs when it comes to doubles court.

It's definitely difficult playing both. I think, Jess, you did you a great job this week of taking one for the team with that schedule yesterday. Then today, I don't know, I just feel like we have a good team dynamic. With the schedules aligning and the way we are on the court, I don't think we're ever super tight and super hard on each other. Obviously me, sometimes I get hard on myself. But other than that, I think playing with Jess is great.

Like I'm super, like, up and down, and she's usually pretty cool the whole time. So I think it definitely helps in singles because I'm, like, I need to start trying to remind myself and be like a Jess in my head a little bit (laughing.) Like I'm serious, that's what I'm thinking. Like, you guys know how I am on the court. So I need, sometimes I need a little bit of Jess in my life. (Laughing.)

JESSICA PEGULA: I think my coach is like, All right Jess, like let's go. Like you need more energy (laughing.)

Q. US Open I think the last All-American women pair to win I think was 11 years ago. How much is that a goal for you guys to kind of snap that drought a little bit?

COCO GAUFF: That would be cool to win. I mean, I didn't know that. I think winning a Grand Slam anyways is a goal. But for sure who was the last one, probably Venus and Serena probably?

JESSICA PEGULA: Probably.

COCO GAUFF: Probably, I think.

JESSICA PEGULA: Probably.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, it has to be them.

But, yeah, that would be pretty cool. We were close at French Open, and I was close last year (laughing.) So maybe one day I can get over that hurdle. But I don't want to put, like, any pressure on ourselves. I think we play the best when we just take it one match at a time and one point at a time.