Gauff and Pegula have now won two championships this year after their first was won in a triumphant title defence at Doha in February.
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After defeating Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Townsend, 7-6(6), 6-2, in the Miami Open doubles championship match on Sunday, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula became the first all-American team to take home the trophy in 22 years. In 1991, Mary Joe Fernandez and Zina Garrison became the final all-American team to triumph in Miami. Gauff and Pegula have now won two championships this year after their first was won in a triumphant title defence at Doha in February. The most recent one is in Miami. Along with 2022 Doha and 2022 Toronto, it is the American team’s third WTA 1000 championship.
“This tournament is one of those tournaments that you grow up watching, and I think it feels even more special than some of the other 1000s we won,” Gauff said. “Doing it in front of our family, it means a lot. I’m glad that we were able to have that result, especially, you know, I think our quarters, final match, we weren’t looking like we were going to be in this position but we hung in there. Today honestly I don’t think we could have played a better match.”
Gauff and Pegula, who were competing in their first Miami main draw together, advanced to the quarterfinals with victories over Asia Muhammad and Anna Dalinina and Brenda and Linda Fruhvirtova. Gauff and Pegula defeated No. 6 seeds Elise Mertens and Storm Hunter in one day after rain delays disrupted the schedule. No. 8 seeds Nicole Melichar Martinez and Ellen Perez won by scores of 6-7(4), 7-5, [10-2], and 7-6(5), 7-6(1) to reach the championship match.
Petra Kvitova ended Elena Rybakina’s 13-match winning streak to win the Miami Open. Kvitova defeated Rybakina 7-6(14), 6-2 on the strength of a strong serving effort on Saturday, earning her 30th career victory. Kvitova, 33, won the Miami Open at the oldest age since Serena Williams in 2015. Kvitova will make her first appearance in the Top 10 since September 2021 on Monday. “For sure the tiebreak was deciding today I think all the match,” Kvitova said. “I think it was the longest one I ever played in my life, and it was like, yeah, if I didn’t serve, I couldn’t be there. I mean, I got like three aces at the beginning and it was really tough.”
Kvitova won her ninth WTA 1000 championship and increased her impressive record in WTA Tour finals to 30-11 in her 99th main-draw appearance at a WTA 1000 event while competing in Miami on her 13th main-draw appearance. Her victory over No. 7 Rybakina gave her 60 career victories in the Top 10, which puts her third among active players behind Venus Williams and Victoria Azarenka. Kvitova prevailed after a dramatic 67-minute opening frame in which she attempted to serve for the set at 5-4 but was unsuccessful before fending off five set points in a protracted tiebreak to win 16-14.
