EXCLUSIVE: Coco Gauff’s Coach Dishes Out a ‘Positive’ Jessica Pegula Verdict as He Delves Into the Impact of Doubles Tennis on the Teenager

At just 19, Coco Gauff has carved a niche for herself on the WTA Tour. She has become a force to reckon with and recently won her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. Further, the American sensation is one of the rare players on the tour who is active in both Singles and Doubles categories. What’s more, she’s consistently at the top of her game in both formats, ranking No. 3 and No. 1 in Singles and Doubles, respectively. Recently, the impact of Doubles tennis on Gauff’s career was revealed by her coach, Pere Riba, in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports.

Riba joined Gauff’s coaching staff earlier this year when she decided to overhaul her team after her disappointing run at Wimbledon. Their partnership instantly bore fruit as Gauff had a massive turnaround in the US Open swing. But did playing in two different categories end up taxing the young teen too much – like many pundits theorized? Riba’s perspective clarified the situation.

Pere Riba lauds the doubles game of Coco Gauff

While it is important that Gauff focuses on singles, Riba acknowledged her doubles game, which has, in turn, benefitted her in singles too. During an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, he was asked about how has doubles game helped Gauff in singles.

Answering that question, Riba said, “The doubles always you can improve a lot in the net, and also serve, returns. I think doubles is positive if you know when you have to play the doubles. At least Coco had priority in singles because she is a singles player. And then she has to choose when has to play doubles when she doesn’t have to play doubles.”

Subsequently, he also went on to reveal how playing alongside an experienced partner like Pegula has helped Gauff. Riba continued, “To play with one partner like Jessica Pegula that has a lot of experience, Coco is still in a process that is 19 years old. She needs to continue improving, continue evolving. The key is that she is open to improve. I think so playing doubles with Pegula has helped in her development.”

Despite the two being rivals on the singles circuit, they are close friends off the court. Their doubles partnership has surely helped strengthen their bond as well. But the proof is in the pudding, and recently Gauff surprised Pegula with a wonderful gift.

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Gauff’s amazing surprise for Pegula

Earlier this year, the 19-year-old gifted Pegula an all-American gift. It was a pair of swanky Bose headphones, emblazoned in the colors of the American flag. Later, Pegula shared a photo of the gift via a story on her official Instagram handle. Subsequently, Gauff re-shared that story and cheekily said, “Not hosting any dinners, but I am a good gift giver.”

Pegula and Gauff are the top Doubles pair on the WTA circuit. They’ll look to maintain this status, especially with the Paris Olympics coming up next year. Do you think the Americans will have a good shot at the gold then?

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