“She doesn’t have to hit well”- That is what Andy Roddick spoke about Coco Gauff‘s style of play during the US Open. Winning tennis matches despite not being at her best form is something Gauff has made into an art form, the sort of gritty style that has seen her win two Grand Slam titles. While grit is the mental component, the tactical part involves the 22-year-old being one of the best athletes on the WTA at the moment, something her opponent, Jessica Pegula, openly admitted after their match at the WTA Finals.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“It’s tough when a match gets really physical against Coco, to be honest, it’s probably not in my favor,” said Pegula in a post-match interview after her three-set loss to Gauff at Indian Wells. “I think the first two sets, especially, were super physical, and I just had a little lull, like at the beginning of the third, which was unfortunate, like that first game. So yeah, I mean, I thought she played a bit better, and I still had chances kind of at the end. So I think with her movement, it’s always just, she makes you play like those extra points, extra balls. And I think you do; you end up missing a few short balls, and maybe you wouldn’t miss because you think that, okay, well, she’s going to get it, or what if she gets it?”
The match between Gauff and Pegula started on an even keel, with both players holding serve for the first nine games of the first set. Pegula did get a look during Gauff’s service games, but the latter saved all four break point opportunities. Putting scoreboard pressure on the Pegula serve during the 5-4 game, Gauff was able to find an opening and get the decisive break to win the first set 6-4.
The momentum of the match shifted in the second set, with Pegula raising her game as the World No. 5 took a strong 5-1 lead and was on the verge of forcing a deciding set. This is where the vintage Gauff came out, as she started to engage in longer rallies with Pegula, making her play one extra shot and miss more, while Gauff saved three set points in the ninth game. Soon, Gauff won five games in a row, and at 6-5, she even had a match point on Pegula’s serve. However, the veteran was able to hold Gauff’s charge for the moment and win the second set in the tiebreak, converting on her fifth set point.
Even though she lost the set, there was enough momentum for Gauff going into the third set, where she got an early 3-0 lead, breaking Pegula’s serve twice. The World No. 5 did recover one break, but there was no stopping the 2024 WTA Finals champion, who clinched the set 6-2. This was Gauff’s third consecutive win over her compatriot, having beaten her at Wimbledon and the Cincinnati final this year. This is not the first time that Pegula has struggled to find a way past the World No. 4’s defensive game, something she joked about after losing in Cincinnati.
“I want to say congrats to Coco and her team. Gosh, you were like a backboard today. It was not fun to play against,” Pegula said during her on-court speech at the Cincinnati Open.
When Pegula talked about Gauff’s ability to make her opponent “earn it,” she was not making a glib comment. In 2026 alone, Gauff has won three matches while being match point down, with the most recent being her quarterfinal win over Mirra Andreeva at the US Open. The 22-year-old plays at her best when doing so in front of packed stadiums, something she was cognizant of after her win against Pegula at Indian Wells.
Coco Gauff Thanks the Crowd After Her Win at Indian Wells
After beating Pegula in a tight contest, Gauff did not forget to thank the fans who had filled out the 8000-seater Court 2 at Indian Wells, with the 22-year-old appreciating the support for women’s tennis.
“Thank you, guys, I wasn’t sure how the crowd’s gonna be,” said Gauff during her on-court interview. “But, yeah, I’m really just happy that you guys are here and supporting women’s tennis and women’s sports in general.”
Gauff’s apprehension about the crowd was not unfounded, as this is the first time the WTA has returned to Indian Wells in November. Moreover, this is set to be a one-time thing, as the Indian Wells venue is hosting the Tour Finals this year before the event moves to Charlotte next year.
For Gauff, this win will mean a lot, as it was her first match in over a month since her China Open loss to Elise Mertens. The American had to deal with a lot of off-court noise at that event, which prompted her to take a longer break, something that seems to have benefited her.
