The pair defeated Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 10-5 in Sunday’s closing, which was determined by a match tie-break.
At 18 years and 154 days outdated, Gauff is the second-youngest participant in WTA historical past to achieve the highest of the doubles rankings after Switzerland’s Martina Hingis, who was 17 years and 251 days outdated.
“Being No. 1 is fairly cool,” Gauff informed reporters after claiming her second doubles title with Pegula and fifth total.
“I’ve no phrases. I did not actually comprehend it was coming this week and what I needed to do, however (Pegula) informed me yesterday. It did not make me extra nervous although. I feel if it was singles, I might have been extra nervous.”
Gauff and Pegula, who’re additionally the top-ranked American singles gamers, fell 3-0 behind within the first set of Sunday’s closing in Toronto, however gained six of the following seven video games to take an early lead.
They’d six championship factors within the second set, however Melichar-Martinez and Perez held on to pressure a deciding tie-break. The match appeared evenly poised at 6-5, earlier than Gauff and Pegula pulled away to clinch the title.
Whereas most gamers are inclined to give attention to both singles or doubles all through their careers, Gauff has competed throughout each disciplines and reached the singles and doubles finals at this 12 months’s French Open.
“As a child, I will be sincere with you, I did not even know there have been separate rankings for singles and doubles,” she stated. “However after I obtained on tour and after I realized I may do effectively in doubles … I needed to. I imply, who would not wish to be No. 1 in something?”
