'Being able to break down in front of a stadium and still win the match, that takes guts': Jessica Pegula backs Coco Gauff's show of emotion

Coaching setup

Both of Pegula’s coaches were with her in New York, something she felt brought stability. “They’re not always here at the same time, but I wanted them both here because they were last year and I did really well,” she said. “I came in without a lot of matches and not winning a lot, so I wanted both of them here if possible. Luckily, that worked out.

“It doesn’t really change much. We talk so much whether one’s gone or not. They talk to each other all the time. They’re both pretty laid back, no ego, no tension about who’s in charge. That’s tough with two coaches, but we’ve found a good balance. They’re good at staying in their lane and letting me decide who I want to talk to more, who I want to feed balls. It’s pretty easy.”

On Coco Gauff’s emotions

Pegula was also asked about Coco Gauff’s emotional reaction in her own match. While Pegula tends to keep her emotions contained, she admired her compatriot’s openness.

“Being able to break down in front of a stadium and still win the match — that takes guts,” Pegula said. “Ashe is overwhelming. You feel like you’re failing, then you’re crying, and then you still win. That’s even harder than not showing any emotion.

“It showed she was human, and sometimes fans don’t understand that. Tennis isn’t life or death, but when you’ve worked your whole life for this and it’s not working, that’s really tough. It’s not easy having to go out there with pressure, changing things in her serve, and feeling like you’re failing in front of an entire stadium. That’s tough, and I don’t think outsiders really understand how difficult that is.

“That’s why I’ve always loved our sport—we’re willing to go out there and fail in front of everybody. It’s just us, no teammates, no coach to blame. That makes our sport really tough. So I think it was good she let it out. Honestly, some of us say on tour—when we see a girl crying, she’s probably going to win.”

Exhibitions and the Laver Cup

The discussion turned to events like the Laver Cup and whether they should be considered exhibitions. Pegula was undecided.

“I still don’t really have an answer,” she admitted. “I guess we just consider anything not on tour an exhibition. But at the same time, those guys really want to win Laver Cup. There’s money, pride, you’re playing on a team. To me, an exhibition is like a hit and giggle—you’re just entertaining the crowd, not really competing. Laver Cup doesn’t feel like that. Those guys go pretty hard. So I don’t know. To be continued.”

Reality of making it in tennis

Finally, Pegula reflected on the difficulty of making it in professional tennis, especially given her own long road. “This sport is really hard and really gruelling,” she said. “Only so many people truly make it, and everyone’s perception of success is different. Maybe it’s top 100, maybe it’s just moving past college tennis, maybe it’s number one or nothing.

“But to be top 20, it’s really difficult. It can be lonely. It’s an international sport, millions of people play, and you’re trying to be one of the best 20 in the entire world. That’s really difficult. I think tennis is one of the toughest sports because it combines the physicality, the schedule, the loneliness, the mental side, and competing by yourself week in and week out. When you’re coming up, you’re not in nice places. You’re fighting with umpires, probably getting cheated, making no money. It’s a grind, truly a grind. To me, actually making it is really, really difficult.”

Match Statistics Pegula vs. Azarenka