Coach of top WTA star reveals shock split: Never saw it coming
Jessica Pegula has officially split with coach David Witt, with the WTA No.4 causing a ‘total surprise’ to her mentor of five years.
Pegula has made a relatively poor start to the year, with the American suffering a second round defeat at the Australian Open and has since withdrawn from the upcoming WTA 1000 tournament in Doha.
And now it has been revealed that the 29-year-old has ended her professional relationship with Witt, who has helped produce Pegula’s best career results.
Under Witt’s guidance, Pegula has won four singles and seven doubles titles, that enabled her to reach career-high rankings of world No.3 and No.1, respectively.
After claiming the WTA 1000 title in Guadalajara in 2022, Witt was named ‘Coach of the Year’ and has confessed his shock at Pegula’s decision to call things to an end, “It was a total surprise to me. 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.”
???? BREAKING NEWS VIA @TENNIS ????
World No. 4 Jessica Pegula has ended her coaching relationship with 2022 WTA Coach of the Year David Witt. pic.twitter.com/jOfRL9a04L
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 5, 2024
Despite the disappointment of the news, Witt thanked Pegula for all of her hard work, “The hard work she put in and we put in, that was something to remember. Seeing your player succeed is the best feeling in the world.
“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.”
Witt’s only other coaching partnership was with none other than seven-time singles Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, and he appears to be looking to join forces with a new player as soon as possible.
“I love coaching, I love being out on the tour, helping someone – whether that’s a male or a female,” said the 50-year-old. “I’m looking for the next challenge, the next person that wants to work hard, set goals, grow and succeed.”
Inside the baseline…
This news not only comes as a surprise to David Witt, but the tennis world as a whole, with their partnership seeming rock solid. Maybe Jessica Pegula feels as though she needs someone to take her to that next level, but it must be said something does not seem right, especially with the uncharacteristic manor of her defeat to a significantly lower ranked player at the Australian Open.
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