"I look up to her" - Coco Gauff applauds doubles partner Jessica Pegula for carrying on despite mother's cardiac arrest

Coco Gauff was all praise for her long-time doubles partner Jessica Pegula at the Qatar Open.

After her victory against former World No. 2 Petra Kvitova in the Round of 16 at the Qatar Open, Coco Gauff, who was gearing up to contest the doubles quarterfinal with Jessica Pegula immediately after, was asked about Pegula’s recent vulnerable revelation about her mother.

In an essay for The Players’ Tribune, Jessica Pegula opened up about her mother Kim Pegula’s 2022 cardiac arrest. While her mother was successfully revived, the lifechanging incident heavily impacted the American tennis player. Despite the personal struggles, the former World No. 3 continued with her job and went on to win the biggest title of her career at the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open.

Speaking about the essay, Coco Gauff appreciated her partner for being able to open up about the very personal incident.

“I read her Players' Tribune essay, and it was great. It was emotional,” the 18-year-old said in the press conference. “I'm glad she was able to get those thoughts out. Definitely probably not easy reliving a certain situation and sharing it to the world. I'm super proud of her for that.”

The 2022 French Open runner-up also acknowledged the immense amount of strength shown by her compatriot to keep carrying on with her career despite adversity. She remarked that Jessica Pegula was a source of inspiration for her and confessed that she wished to have “her level of coolness.”

“Honestly, I look up to her in that way. You know, I have been experiencing it up close, and just seeing the way she carries herself, you would have never guessed all the things she's gone through,” Coco Gauff said. “So that speaks to her personality and speaks to her level of coolness. Hopefully, I can have that.”

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula inch closer to title defense at Qatar Open

The American pair with 2022 French Open runner-up trophies

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are still in contention for the Qatar Open title in both singles and doubles.

The duo are through to the quarterfinals in singles, where Gauff has set up a clash with Veronika Kudermetova. Meanwhile, Pegula is set to face Beatriz Haddad Maia for a spot in the semifinals.

On the doubles front, the American duo, who are the defending champions, are through to the semifinals of the tournament. They will now lock horns against Shuai Zhang and Guiliana Olmos for a back-to-back spot in the final of the Qatar Open.