Coco Gauff hopes to end her title drought as she and McCartney Kessler compete in the Canadian Open doubles final after recent singles struggles.
Gauff and Kessler Advance to Doubles Final in Montreal
Coco Gauff will compete for a trophy at the Canadian Open on Wednesday night, this time in doubles. Despite a disappointing singles run—ending in a fourth-round loss to Canada’s Victoria Mboko—the American star has found renewed momentum alongside partner McCartney Kessler. The pair advanced to the final after a string of nail-biting wins, including a comeback semifinal victory over Olga Danilovic and Su-Wei Hsieh.
Tough Road to the Final Signals Resilience
It hasn’t been an easy path to the title match for the unseeded American duo. Gauff and Kessler have won their last three matches via final set tiebreaks, showing grit under pressure. Their semifinal win came after dropping the first set but rallying to claim the next two. A potential doubles title could restore confidence for Gauff, who’s had a tough few months following her 2025 French Open singles triumph.
Serving Struggles Plague Singles Campaign
Gauff’s singles performance in Canada raised concerns, particularly with her serve. She committed 42 double faults across three matches—an unusually high count for the 21-year-old. In contrast, her serving in doubles has been nearly flawless. “My doubles yesterday, I hit zero double faults,” Gauff told reporters. “I just would like to serve how I do in doubles in singles.”
Facing Formidable Opponents in the Final
In Wednesday’s final, Gauff and Kessler will take on third seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai—a duo with 25 doubles titles between them, including a recent win in Washington. Gauff, already a Grand Slam doubles champion, brings experience to the court, while Kessler is in search of her first professional title. Minimizing unforced errors will be critical as they face one of the tour’s most seasoned pairs.
Partnership Formed After Pegula Split
This new partnership with Kessler emerged after Gauff ended her long-standing doubles collaboration with Jessica Pegula. Together, Gauff and Pegula had found great success, winning three WTA 1000 titles and reaching the French Open final in 2022. However, their surprise early exit at the 2024 Paris Olympics marked their last appearance as a team. Pegula later confirmed both had shifted focus to singles play.
Singles First, But Doubles Keeps Gauff Sharp
Since her split with Pegula, Gauff has played selectively in doubles, skipping the discipline at majors this season. Still, her continued success in doubles—particularly with fresh partners—shows her adaptability and competitive edge. Whether she continues this momentum into the U.S. Open remains to be seen, but a title in Montreal would be her first since Roland Garros and could reset her trajectory for the rest of 2025.
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