“Obviously I’m disappointed with how I played today—I feel like I could have shown up better,” a reflective Coco Gauff admitted after falling to Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final. Her frustration was understandable, as this marked only her second loss in the final of a WTA event, the first being against Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros 2022. Despite hitting 4 more winners than Sabalenka, Gauff’s 7 extra unforced errors proved costly. Despite this loss, though, Coco’s recent form has been encouraging. After several early exits in the first three months of the season, her gritty performances in Madrid and now Rome hint at redemption. The 21-year-old American is rediscovering the fire that made her a champion.
Gauff’s 2025 season has been a true rollercoaster ride. After a confident start at the AO, where she reached the QFs, the 21-year-old hit a rough patch with back-to-back first-round exits during the Middle East swing. Though she managed to stabilize with R16 appearances at Indian Wells and Miami, consistency still seemed just out of reach! A QF finish in Stuttgart offered a glimmer of resurgence, and that spark turned into a flame in Madrid.
On the Spanish clay, Gauff found her groove, powering past top opponents, including former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, to reach the final. Though she ultimately fell in straight sets to Aryna Sabalenka, her performance marked a turning point. Carrying that momentum into the Italian Open, Gauff has looked increasingly dominant on court, cruising past Magda Linette, Victoria Mboko, and Emma Raducanu. With her poise, power, and purpose now aligned, Gauff appears ready to reclaim her top form just in time for Roland Garros.
Speaking to Sky Sports after her fourth-round victory, Coco Gauff opened up about the challenging conditions during her match against Emma Raducanu at the Italian Open. “It was definitely an A [grade]. It was tough conditions, it was super windy. Emma is a tough opponent no matter what surface,” she said, praising Raducanu’s resilience. Despite a straight-sets win, the former US champion made it clear that the Brit pushed her. “She’s tough to play, so I am really happy with how I played,” she added, acknowledging the fight Raducanu brought to the court.
Gauff also reflected on her evolving clay-court game, particularly following her runner-up finish in the Spanish capital. “My game is getting better every match, I think. Madrid was a step in the right direction. Obviously, I lost in the final, and I don’t like losing, especially in the final, so I am hoping to redeem myself here,” she shared, clearly eyeing redemption in Rome before heading to Paris.
Even in yesterday’s match, the American overcame a shaky start, opening with a double fault, but she quickly found her rhythm despite breezy conditions. Emma Raducanu, slower to adjust, handed over an early break and missed key chances to recover, including the one she got after a weak drop-shot from Gauff.
Though Emma showed resilience, saving a break point and forcing one from 40-0 down, Gauff remained composed, sealing the first set 6-1. In the second set, Raducanu held early but couldn’t match Gauff’s relentless defense. A missed break point at 3-2 proved costly, as Gauff held firm and broke again to wrap up a straight-sets win.
Currently, Gauff, the runner-up at the preceding Madrid Open WTA 1000 tournament in May, will contend against either Clara Tauson or Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday.
As for Gauff, her eyes are firmly fixed, not on dethroning Aryna Sabalenka, but on something far more personal! Any Guesses?
Coco Gauff admits her desire to win Slams rather than being the World No. 1
The day Coco Gauff clinched her first GS title remains etched in tennis history. Despite a rocky start, dropping the opening set 2-6, Gauff displayed remarkable grit and composure, storming back to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-2. Clinching the title on home soil made the moment even more special, one Coco will never forget, and one she hopes to recreate again.
Competing at the Italian Open, Gauff has added another impressive chapter to her 2025 season. Her dominant straight-sets victory over Emma Raducanu, 6-1, 6-2, not only secured her a spot in the QF but also elevated her back to the 2nd spot in the world rankings. The American now matches her career-high ranking, which she briefly reached last summer after 3 years in the Top 10.
While speaking to the Tennis Channel after the win, Gauff emphasized that chasing Aryna Sabalenka’s top spot isn’t her focus. “It’s not really that much in my mind because I just want another slam, so honestly, it’s not something that I think about. But honestly, it’s something I want to touch in my career and maintain, too,” she added.
Coco continued, “So, yeah, it’s definitely something that I want to do. But it’s not fully in my mind; I’d rather take away some more trophies, Slam trophies. But that obviously will come if I can win.” Her eyes remain firmly set on adding more major titles to her name.
Gauff will now compete against the rising star, Mirra Andreeva, for a place in the semi-final. Who do you predict will be victorious?
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