At just 21, Coco Gauff has already achieved what many dream of, clinching her first GS title at the 2023 US Open and rising as a beacon of promise in women’s tennis. She’s spoken candidly about longevity, recently noting, “When it’s time to retire, I want to make sure it’s on my terms and not because of an injury or anything like that.” Her grit is evident: just look at the Madrid Open itself, where she reached the singles final and competed in doubles despite Jessica Pegula’s absence by her side. But rarely do players open up about facing injured opponents. Gauff did just that, revealing a more introspective side of competition.
Coco Gauff’s 2025 season has been nothing short of a rollercoaster! After a strong showing at the AO, where she reached the quarterfinals, her form dipped with consecutive 1st-round exits during the Middle East swing. Though she found some footing with R16 appearances at both Indian Wells and Miami, consistency continued to evade her. A QF run in Stuttgart hinted at a turnaround, and that promise finally bloomed in Madrid, where Gauff stormed to the final by defeating Polish star Iga Swiatek. Despite her incredible run on the Madrid clay, Gauff fell short in the final, losing in straight sets to Aryna Sabalenka.
Speaking at the pre-tournament press conference before the Italian Open, the American was asked about the difficult aspect of facing an opponent while being aware of their injury. She added, “I think the challenge of it is when you know you’re they’re injured, it’s like okay you want to just keep the ball on the court and keep them playing. But also when the person is injured they’re probably going to go for more and try to end the points earlier so obviously if you’re just pushing the ball in and they’re slapping it’s not a good you know look on you or not a good combination for you.”
Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – June 2, 2024 Coco Gauff of the U.S. reacts during her fourth round match against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
She further added, “But um yeah it’s always difficult um sometimes I think sometimes I feel like people sometimes play better when they’re injured because of the fact they just whatever like nothing to lose you go out there whatever happens happens um but it’s always awkward and you don’t know whether to celebrate or you know or not,”
Later, Coco Gauff also added that she hoped she dealt with the same feelings when she was much younger at the tennis court. According to Coco, “When I was younger I used to struggle with it a lot cuz I was very I’m still nice but I was like maybe too nice then so I would almost like give away the match but now I just try to ignore it and just try to pretend that they’re still healthy and everything um and play like I would normally cuz if not I probably would just put the ball on the court.”
While opening up about the rarely discussed mental struggle of facing an injured opponent, the 4th seed also recently stood firm in her faith, boldly defending her belief in Jesus Christ and addressing her critics head-on!
Coco Gauff proudly expressed her faith in her post-tournament speeches, unfazed by criticism following the Madrid Open
Coco Gauff played the final of the Madrid Open with a slight advantage, holding a better H2H record over Aryna Sabalenka, including a key victory during their only prior clay-court meeting in Rome back in 2021. After surviving a nervy opening service game, Gauff looked ready to rise to the occasion. However, Sabalenka quickly seized control with relentless baseline power and remarkable poise under pressure. Ultimately, she claimed her third Madrid Open crown with a convincing straight victory over the American.
Despite the tough loss, Gauff stood tall during the trophy ceremony. With humility and pride, she delivered a message close to her heart. “I’d like to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ to be here and the opportunity to play in the final,” she said, before offering heartfelt congratulations to Sabalenka. While her faith has always been a prominent part of her identity, it continues to draw both admiration and criticism after the tournament ends.
However, recently, at the same press conference, the 20-year-old opened up about her post-match remarks and the importance of her faith. “I’ve said it in every speech. I know there’s like a whole discourse about it online, but I’ve done it every speech that I’ve been on tour. I’m not out here trying to force anybody to believe in anything. I share my beliefs for people who also believe in it, as well.”
Reflecting further, she added, “Yeah, I think for me you come to a point where you start criticizing people for saying anything, whether it’s religion, or pride in their sexuality or anything like that, that’s a bit of censorship. I think we all should be able to do what we want to do as long as it’s not harming other people.”
Now, with Rome ahead, Gauff is chasing not just a title, but another chance to inspire. Could the Italian clay be the one that inspires the American to win her first clay court trophy?
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