“It was kind of like this light-bulb moment where I started really buying into (the idea that) I can be nervous and I can still play good tennis,” spoke a resurgent Madison Keys when her mental breakthrough finally helped her unlock her potential at last. The American star commenced the season in high spirits following her maiden Slam finish at the Australian Open. Her poignant journey, one marred by several setbacks not only earned her the milestone of becoming the first American woman – or American period – in five years to win in Melbourne, but also reassessed her footing on the tour. She thwarted Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka‘s bid for a three-peat in the summit clash nearly seven years after reaching the final of the US Open, where she lost to eventual champion Sloane Stephens. And now, Keys’ recent success story has left an endearing impact on her countrywoman.
Coco Gauff, the young talent who stunned fans by claiming the US Open crown in 2023, spoke highly of the reigning Happy Slam winner during her time in Indian Wells. The American sensation explained that the 30-year-old, although a late bloomer, finally earned her credentials after enacting crucial changes to her game responsible for recording the turnaround. Gauff also admitted relating to her story as she is also in the process of making technical changes to her game style which could ultimately help her shine on the Grand Slam stage again. The 20-year-old exited the hardcourt Major following a straight-set loss to Paula Badosa in January.
“Yeah, definitely inspiring just because I’m in that process, and the fact that she committed to it maybe what people consider later in her career,” spoke Gauff during her post-match conference at the Indian Wells Masters. “I wasn’t surprised by her winning. I think she’s one of those players you play and she’s just so good and she has the capability of beating anyone on any given day.”
She continued, “It’s great to see her finding her — I don’t even want to say finding her game, because she’s been playing great tennis for so long, but I guess finally having the trophy that she deserves with the level of her game, she has one of the highest levels on tour. She just looks a lot happier lately. So it’s good to see her, like, win and also be kind of happy while doing it.” For those unaware, Gauff parted ways with ex-coach Brad Gilbert and joined forces with Naomi Osaka‘s former coach and technique correction specialist Matt Daly after suffering from serving woes during the North American swing last year.
Though that partnership has since recorded noteworthy results – winning the China Open and the WTA Finals in 2024 – Gauff is still a long way home from perfecting her technique. The third seed received a bye in the Indian Wells opening round and despite overcoming Moyuka Uchijima’s challenge in the second, Gauff was visibly discontent with her performance. She racked up 21 double faults, and fired more than 70 unforced errors during the encounter and later admitted feeling “frustrated.”
“I think today is just one of those days you just don’t feel great on the court. So it’s kind of like frustrating in that way because I was having such great practices this week,” she said during her on-court interview on March 9. However, there’s always room for improvement and Gauff has seemingly calculated her shortcomings in the Californian desert.
Coco Gauff expresses playing “better than” her R2 contest after defeating Maria Sakkari
On Monday, March 10, American superstar Coco Gauff overcame late nerves to hold off Maria Sakkari, 7-6 (1), 6-2, and secure a berth in the tournament’s Round of 16. The 20-year-old displayed impressive form throughout the showdown until the final game, where she double-faulted six times before wrapping the contest on her sixth match point. Seeing as the uneven two-set showcase shared its fair bits of rough moments, Gauff later addressed her performance on a windy day in the Californian desert that made matters rather difficult for both players.
“Today was tough conditions; it was a bit windy. So, we were both trying to adjust. Except the last game, I thought I played a great match. Trying to look at the positives,” she said. “Obviously, a bit disappointed with the last game, but that’s just the perfectionist in me. It gives me positives. It’s better than the last match, and hopefully, I can do even better in the next on.”
The third seed also voiced her takeaways from the match, saying – “Just the resilience, I guess, the conditions were tough. The ball was moving a lot. But overall, it was better than the previous match. I’m just trying to keep getting better as each round goes. I lost to Maria here last year in the semifinals, so it felt good to get a little revenge today. Even though I love her.”
Gauff will next take to the court on Wednesday, March 12 for her Round of 16 encounter against Belinda Bencic.
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