Jessica Pegula just called it quits with her long time coach David Witt. Pegula recently lost in the second round of the Australian Open despite reaching the Quarterfinals the year prior. What are your thoughts? #TunedIntoTennis 🎾
Jessica Pegula ends long-time coaching relationship with David Witt who calls it a 'total surprise'
WTATuesday, 06 February 2024 at 00:00
Jessica Pegula recently had to withdraw from the Middle East swing due to neck injury and has also gone through some changes to her coaching team with long-time coach, David Witt axed by the American in a move he called a 'total surprise'.
Witt who was seen by the side of Pegula also at the United Cup as USA's team captain was axed shortly after her second round exit at the Australian Open after working together throughout most of her success since 2019.
“It was a total surprise to me,” Witt told TENNIS.com who has only ever worked with Venus Williams aside from Pegula. “Never saw it coming. We’ve had a great friendship for five years, so it’s very tough, I really value my relationship with my player just as much as I love coaching. It’s a tough business. I’ve been pretty lucky that I’ve only been with two players the last 15 years.”
Before they started working together, Pegula had never won a WTA-level title or cracked the top 75 and in their first tournament as a pair, she won the 2019 Citi Open. This achievement saw success bloom and she reached her maiden Grand Slam Quarter-Final in 2021 and also reached the top 25 with Witt in her corner.
From the 2022 Australian Open, she reached the Quarter-Finals in six out of the next Grand Slam tournaments despite never getting over that hurdle. She also won two out of her four WTA singles titles in 2023 including a WTA 1000 in Montreal, but after not looking herself since the start of 2024, it seems like she has had some serious thinking time and decided that parting ways is the best option.
“You just never know how high a player can go,” says Witt. “Me as a coach, I go into it thinking I’m going to try to get the best out the player that I’m working with. I think we’ve done that.
“She’s obviously knocking on the door [of winning a major]. Our goals were to win a Grand Slam. Obviously, that was cut short, didn’t get to accomplish that, but I think everything else has been awesome.”
After his success with Pegula though, Witt won't be short of offers. “I love coaching, I love being out on the tour, helping someone—whether that’s a male or a female,” says Witt. “I’m looking for the next challenge, the next person that wants to work hard, set goals, grow and succeed.”
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