Coco Gauff, the young tennis prodigy and current world number 5, suffered a surprising defeat in her return to competition at the Qatar Open. The American, who arrived with high expectations following her quarterfinal elimination at the Australian Open, was knocked out in her debut by Elisabetta Cocciaretto, an Italian player who capitalized on the situation and won decisively 6–4, 6–2. This significant victory marks Cocciaretto’s third win against Top-10 players in her career.
After the match, Gauff did not hide her frustration, stating: “I just feel like I haven’t come in with my best level in the last few matches. I’m just trying to find that again.” The sense of disconnection between training and performance in actual matches was a recurring theme in her statements. “I feel like some of the things I’ve worked on in practice aren’t translating to the court, which is super frustrating,” added the two-time Grand Slam champion. “I’ve had good practices, but I’m not playing well in matches. I need to figure out how that can be translated.”
The young tennis player explained that, despite her intention to be more aggressive, this resulted in an excessive number of unforced errors. “When I tried to be a bit more passive and play with more control, she was getting to the ball early and attacking strongly. I need to understand how to play against players like her, who have a super flat playing style and attack quickly. My recent matches have shown that I am struggling with this. It’s something I need to work on in practice.”
The match was a real challenge for Gauff, who had difficulty imposing her playing style. One of the critical points was her second serve, where she won only 25% of the points. However, the young player pointed out an improvement compared to previous losses, as double faults were not such a predominant issue this time. “Today, with just three double faults, that’s positive, and the same happened in the matches I had in Australia,” she said. “Now, I need to figure out what I’m doing wrong at the baseline to lose these matches.”
The decisive moments of the match favored Cocciaretto, who saved 4 of the 5 break points she faced and converted 3 of her 11 opportunities. The Italian’s control became evident after a balanced first set, when she dominated the second set. Gauff acknowledged: “Physically, I know I can do this, and I can when there isn’t much pressure. I need to figure out how to do this under pressure.”
The early elimination of Gauff adds to the exit of her compatriot Amanda Anisimova, the reigning champion, who was also abruptly knocked out in the second round due to physical discomfort during her match against Karolina Pliskova. With the absence of other strong names like Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and Iva Jovic, American hopes now rest on Emma Navarro, the world number 18, who is awaiting her match in the round of 32 against Anna Kalinskaya. Additionally, Ann Li has already advanced to the third round, where she will face Elisabetta Cocciaretto, seeking to avenge Gauff’s defeat.
Gauff’s next challenge will be the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, a tournament where she was eliminated in the second round in 2025, but which also saw the player reach her best performance to date in the semifinals. This will be an excellent opportunity for the 21-year-old to turn the tide and secure victories and points while fighting to maintain her status as the number 1 in the United States.
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