“I'd be good in a crisis” - Jessica Pegula jokingly concurs with Coco Gauff about being the ‘mom’ of USA women’s tennis team

Jessica Pegula humorously referred to herself as the "mom" of the Team USA women’s tennis squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The team included Pegula, Coco Gauff, Danielle Collins, Emma Navarro, and Desirae Krawczyk.

The context of Pegula’s joke stems from a recent segment on Tennis Channel, where several ATP and WTA stars, including Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Daria Kasatkina, Victoria Azarenka, and Pegula, were asked who their emergency contacts would be.

The responses varied, with Jannik Sinner choosing Jack Draper, Daniil Medvedev opting for Andrey Rublev, and Coco Gauff picking Chris Eubanks. Interestingly, both Daria Kasatkina and Victoria Azarenka named Pegula as their emergency contact, highlighting her reliability and calm demeanor.

When it was Pegula's turn to speak, she shared a humorous anecdote from the Olympic games. The American explained that Gauff had recently remarked on how she had become the group's unofficial "mom" during their time at the Olympics.

Pegula noted that she wasn’t actively trying to take on that role but admitted it seemed to suit her naturally.

"I do think I would also be good in a crisis. Coco [Gauff] was telling me that at the Olympics, I was like the mom of the group. And I wasn't even trying to be. I guess that's just where I land," Pegula said.

The USA women's tennis team struggled to make a significant impact at the Olympics, with their standout performances being Collins' and Gauff's quarterfinal appearances in singles and mixed doubles, respectively.

In contrast, the U.S. men's tennis team enjoyed greater success. Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul clinched a bronze medal in men's doubles, overcoming the Czech pair Adam Pavlasek and Tomas Machac. Meanwhile, Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek earned a silver medal, finishing as runners-up to the Australian duo Matthew Ebden and John Peers.

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Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula's performance at the ongoing US Open

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula at the 2023 US Open (Source: Getty Images)

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula have had decent performances in their US Open singles matches, advancing through the fourth and third rounds, respectively.

Defending champion Gauff started her campaign with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Varvara Gracheva in the first round. The American then defeated Tatjana Maria 6-4, 6-0 to reach the third round where she faced 27th seed Elina Svitolina. After a shaky start, the third seed made a remarkable comeback to win the match 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Gauff will take on compatriot and 13th seed Emma Navarro in the Round of 16 on August 31. The winner of the match will face either 26th seed Paula Badosa or Wang Yafan in the quarterfinals.

Jessica Pegula, meanwhile, began her US Open campaign by defeating compatriot Shelby Rogers 6-4, 6-3 in what was the latter's final singles match. Pegula continued her winning streak by defeating Sofia Kenin 7-6 (4), 6-3 to reach the third round in New York for the fifth time.

The sixth-seeded American will take on Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on August 31. The winner of this match will face either Sara Errani or 18th seed Diana Shnaider in the Round of 16.