Coco Gauff reveals if Jessica Pegula’s comments have impacted their relationship after she beats her at the WTA Finals

Coco Gauff was also caught up in the crossfire in the controversy of Jessica Pegula’s comments at the WTA Finals this year.

Pegula was mostly overheard talking about Mirra Andreeva in a private conversation with her coach Mark Knowles during a practice session, which she was unaware was being live streamed by the WTA.

In her comments about Andreeva, Pegula was heard calling the Russian teenager a ‘diva’, who she claimed needed humbling. Pegula then also went on to claim that if Andreeva had Gauff’s mentality then she would be better than her compatriot.

Gauff has since beaten Pegula 6-4, 6(5)-7, 6-2 in her opening match of the WTA Finals, and the former has now revealed how she felt when she heard those comments from her friend and former doubles partner.

Coco Gauff reveals that Jessica Pegula apologised to her ‘immediately’

Gauff and Pegula have always had a close relationship, as both fellow Americans and consistent doubles partners for over two years until they chose to focus more on singles.

These comments could have potentially been hurtful to Gauff, but she has now revealed that Pegula and her coach both apologised to her straight away, and suggested that it has not impacted the way she feels about her compatriot.

“Jess told me, like before I even saw the video, she came and apologised immediately,” said Gauff, after responding to media at the WTA Finals. “Honestly, I didn’t even really take it, I feel like maybe the other person [Andreeva] in the situation got a lot more of it.

“But they both, even her coach, apologised to me. So, I think for me I’m always a competitor, so I’m going to compete regardless of what’s happening off the court. But yeah, I know her heart and it was all good, I don’t feel any type [of way], we’re cool.”

Regardless of whether she was hurt by Pegula’s comments, Gauff will no doubt be pleased to have won her third consecutive match against her compatriot to take the lead in their head-to-head and get off to a winning start at the WTA Finals.

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula’s group standing after their first match at the WTA Finals

Gauff and Pegula were not the only singles match taking place on day one of the 2026 WTA Finals, with Linda Noskova and Marta Kostyuk also going head-to-head in Indian Wells.

Kostyuk came in to replace the world number one and defending champion Elena Rybakina, who withdrew from the WTA Finals due to medical reasons, but she was unable to capitalise in her first match, where she was beaten in straight sets by Wimbledon champion Noskova.

This means that Noskova is at the top of Group 1, closely followed by Gauff, while Pegula and Kostyuk still have work to do if they are to advance to the semi-finals. One of them will get their first win of the WTA Finals, as Pegula and Kostyuk will play each other on Tuesday, November 10, while Noskova and Gauff will go head-to-head in a battle to get to the top of the group.

Before Noskova, Gauff, Pegula and Kostyuk play their next matches at the WTA Finals, it will be Group 2 who takes to the court, with Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva, Elina Svitolina and Karolina Muchova in action.

Sabalenka will face a tough test against Muchova, who is the only player in the field she trails in her head-to-head against, while Andreeva takes on Svitolina.

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Esta notícia foi originalmente publicada em: Fonte original