Remember that fun TopGolf night after the Australian Open, when Coco Gauff’s childhood friend Jamilah Nicole shared snaps from their outing? Though Gauff hasn’t added to her trophy cabinet since the WTA Finals, she’s kept things light—often turning to golf. And she’s never shied away from calling the sport a challenge. As she gears up for her Madrid Open quarterfinal, her tennis seems to be clicking again. But off the court, golf seems to be getting the better of her. During a recent outing, Gauff humorously struggled on the green, while her former doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, impressed with her smooth technique. It seems Gauff may have more than just her tennis game to sharpen this season. So, what exactly happened that caught everyone’s attention?
The official IG page of the Madrid Open recently gave fans a treat with a light-hearted golf challenge featuring top ATP and WTA stars. The rules were simple: hit a golf ball across a pond and try to land it in a hole roughly 70 yards away in the middle of water. Among the players attempting the challenge was Coco Gauff, whose entertaining struggle snatched the spotlight.
In the video’s opening clip, Gauff held the golf club and asked with a puzzled expression, “That’s how you hold it?” Her following shots weren’t much better. Before one swing, she joked, “Sorry guys if this is bad,” and after another shot splashed directly into the water, she remarked, “Okay, that was not bad.” Eventually, after yet another water-bound attempt, she hilariously admitted, “Guys, my name is Gauff and I can’t golf. I’m sorry.”
Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula turned the mini-competition into her highlight reel! With calm precision, the 3rd seed needed just three tries to land her ball near the hole in the middle of the pond. Bursting with excitement, she celebrated, saying, “That’s it, not that’s too much. I did it. That’s it. Three feet from the hole. That’s an easy putt. Easy putt.” Pegula’s composure and sharp aim drew applause across social media.
The moment gained even more traction when a fan reposted the clip on X, captioning it, “Okay Jessica Woods.” Jessica Pegula couldn’t resist joining the fun, re-sharing the post and adding, “May not be scratch like Casper but I do play .” Whether on the court or at the pond, Pegula continues to show she’s got game, whereas Gauff might want to stick to tennis… for now.
Meanwhile, for Coco Gauff, this wasn’t her 1st hilarious misstep in golf. Just a week ago, she gave fans another reason to chuckle with a lighthearted video shared on IG from her time in Madrid.
In the short clip, Gauff stood near a picturesque lakeside spot close to the Madrid Open venue, confidently stepping up with a golf club in hand. A banner reading the tournament’s name lay in the backdrop as she attempted to swing the ball across the pond. Instead, it landed right in the water with a big splash. Laughing at herself, Gauff captioned the moment perfectly: “epic fall .”
And while the 21-year-old may still be struggling on the green, she’s certainly swinging strong on the Madrid clay.
“Had to take baby wipes,” Coco Gauff shares her honest opinion after she fell victim to the lack of electricity
4th seed, Coco Gauff, continued her strong red clay run with a convincing 6-4, 6-2 win over Belinda Bencic. With this win, she advanced to the Madrid Open QF for the first time. The 20-year-old now boasts quarterfinal appearances at every WTA 1000 tournament except Miami. Unlike their nail-biting clashes earlier this year at the AO and Indian Wells, this encounter was one-sided.
Coco Gauff’s journey in Madrid took an unexpected turn, not on the court, but just moments after her big win.
Minutes after the match, a widespread power outage hit parts of Spain, including the arena, even interrupting her post-match interview. “It was tough. I just had to take baby wipes, wipe myself down, spray some perfume, and call it a day,” Gauff said, reflecting on the surreal moment.
With traffic lights down and the city thrown into chaos, Gauff added, “I don’t think we’re even going to be able to go back to the hotel because the traffic lights are out. It’s crazy how much we depend on electricity. It really puts things in perspective — and makes you think about how impressive life was for people before it even existed,”
As she left the venue, she showed concern for fans, posting on X: “Put this in the history books, in all seriousness, I hope everyone stays safe.”
Now, with a Madrid QF clash against teen prodigy Mirra Andreeva looming, whom she leads 2-0, can Gauff turn her golf flops into tennis royalty by taming the high-flying Russian? What do you think?
The post Watch: Coco Gauff’s “Easy Putt” Blunder Steals the Spotlight as Jessica Pegula Delivers a Surprise Golf Masterclass appeared first on EssentiallySports.
